Lessons in Love
by Mistress of the Arts
Summary: After their loss in the World Championships, the Majestics plan to spend the remainder of summer in Rome. Amelia Ross, a childhood friend of Johnny, decides to spend it with them and brings a friend, Bree Summers. Summer, romance, and Beyblading have always been a crazy mix. Yet when the King of Sarcasm finds himself learning the lessons of love, things get even crazier! -JxOC ExOC
1. Chapter 1: Encounters

_Disclaimer: Beyblade and characters other than my own belong to Aoki Takao. Characters based off DaQiao17 and me. Contains suggestive themes and mild swearing. Please review._

_~Mistress of the Arts_

_-x-_

_Chapter 1_

_Encounters_

Barcelona, Spain.

It was as beautiful as she remembered, with every street corner causing a rush of childhood memory to hit her. A soft smile tugged on her lips as she idly brushed the dark blond streak of her short hair behind her ear, her light tan skin glowing as the sun kissed it with its warm summer rays. Her dark brown hair fluttered to her shoulders, a small fringe of bangs hovering over her mint green eyes that seemed to dance as she walked along with Spanish streets, flourishing with beauty.

Barcelona was her mother's home. Serafina had been young and beautiful, strong and unattainable. That was of course until she met Marshall Summers, an American youth from Texas whose family had rich history. It wasn't the wealth; it had been his charming smile and sincere words that caused Serafina to fall in love with him, leave Spain, and marry him.

Now thirty years later, their youngest daughter Breana had returned to her mother's place of origin. It had been a late graduation present, Bree's father had explained, to let her visit the city where her parents had fallen in love. The invitation had of course been offered to Bree's older siblings. Her sister Lucetta had declined, deciding to remain on the ranch and help out. Their eldest and only son, Saxton, had his hands full raising his two-year-old son Grayson and declined as well.

Honestly, Bree didn't mind being alone. She was comfortable and she knew how to be safe. She had traveled before - by herself as well - and she knew how to blend in and not stick out as an American girl who hailed from Texas.

Though, the Southern drawl was a bit of a giveaway.

Right now she was sitting on the veranda of her aunt's apartment, watching the sun setting. Her aunt wasn't home right now and she was letting Bree stay for as long as she wanted. Honestly, she didn't see much of her. She had her own personal life and business to attend to, but she did spare some time to spend with her niece.

She closed her book, deciding to make something to eat before possibly getting on her laptop and checking her Facebook account to make sure Saxton hadn't messaged her. Her brother was much older than her, but the mother of his son wasn't in the picture anymore, leaving him to raise his little boy. She wasn't a mother herself, but Bree was good with children and gave him any advice she could. She hated to see him down and lost. No matter how hard things seemed to get though, Saxton loved Grayson more than anything and was willing to endure whatever it took to raise him.

The Spanish-bred woman of twenty-two stood up from her lounge chair, grabbed her drink, and headed inside the apartment. She made sure to lock the veranda doors before making her way to the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge to make herself something to eat. While she made herself some chicken stir-fry, she turned on the radio, humming along and moving her hips in time with the music. She checked her Facebook, smiling as she found messages from her college friends asking how her trip was, especially her close friend Simon. He was currently in Washington, visiting his cousin Madison.

By the time her dinner was ready, she sat down and idly began to surf the web, stumbling across an article on the Beyblade Word Championships. She was surprised to find that the conclusion of the tournament was scheduled tomorrow - even more surprised to find that they would be taking place in _Barcelona_.

Bree chewed her lip, wondering if she should go. It had been about two weeks and she still has about ten left of her summer vacation, but she had seen all the sights and was missing her family. She wanted to hold Grayson again.

It wasn't like she had planned on an epic summer vacation.

No summer romance was sweeping her off her feet.

No friends to run around and have a blast with.

The brunette sat there, continuing to debate about what she should do. If she was to go home, she'd have to book her plane ticket soon. Still, something told her that perhaps things would change tomorrow.

Tomorrow was another day and one never really knew what was in store.

Deciding to sleep on it, Bree did come to the decision to attend the World Championships. She had been following the sport for years, but never had the chance to go to any of the big tournaments. Her favorite team had always been the Blitzkrieg Boys. Heh, she even had a little fan crush on Tala.

It would be cool to see the teams in person, to be among the crowd.

It was decided.

If only Bree Summers had realized just what tomorrow had to bring.

-x-

The stadium was huge, and the excitement was in the air. Anxious and feeling giddy to be there, Bree wandered the corridors. The first matches had been intense and she had never felt so much of an adrenaline rush before. Plus, it was a bonus to see the redhead Russian in person, even though she didn't have a chance to meet him.

She was dying of thirst though. Despite the air-conditioning, the heat of thousands of bodies in a room got to a girl. Fanning herself with her hand, Bree made her way toward a vending machine. She purchased a bottle of water and a bag of chips to munch on while waiting for the final match to begin. She was bouncing on the heels of her sandals, though she had wished she had worn something other than jeans. Her peasant blouse, a nice shade of lavender, was loose enough and flowed to mid-thigh. She idly brushed her fingers through her hair, the gold bangles she wore on her wrist clinking together as she watched the bag fall.

Bree ducked down to grab the bag, tucking it into her purse as she turned, mint eyes focused on unscrewing the cap of her water bottle as her feet mechanically began to move forward. Her eyes lifted just as she accidentally bumped into someone. Hastily catching her bottle - and relieved she hadn't spilt it all over herself - Bree looked up.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed to the young woman before her. "I wasn't payin' attention and…" her voice faltered a bit as her cheeks began to warm, her nervously fidgeting.

A giggle reached her ears, "Nah, its fine."

The brunette was surprised to hear an American accent. She finally took another look at the young woman, surprised to find her to be the same age as her, and was very American. Her bronze hair was layered, falling to her shoulder-blades in a ponytail, with side-parted bangs that fell to her chin. Gold eyes were dancing in a way that was playful but also friendly, and she gave a warm smile, one that revealed pretty white teeth that were straight. Her skin was a pretty shade of apricot, and she had a beauty mark on her left cheekbone - an endearing trademark.

It wasn't the fact that this girl was actually very good-looking, nor the fact she had brushed off the incident with little regard.

It was the fact that standing before her was Amelia Ross.

Of course Breana Summers knew who this girl was. The Ross family was well-known, one of the wealthiest of Connecticut. The family branched all over the country - including a set of cousins in Texas that happened to go to school with Bree. She recognized her from their family albums on Facebook.

To run into this girl here, in a Beystadium, was quite surprising.

She slowly gave the bronze-haired girl another look. It wasn't as surprising as she originally thought though. A lot of the Ross family excelled in sports - she could tell from Amelia's toned and athletic build that she was one of them. She was wearing a light pink tank top with a pair of white sport shorts, white ankle socks, and a pair of white and pink trimmed sneakers. That cheerful smile never seemed to disappear.

"So what team are you rooting for in the finals?" she asked, having piped up while Bree inspected her.

"Huh? Oh…um…I was the Blitzkrieg Boys till they were eliminated by BBA Revolution."

"Yeah, Tyson is as relentless as ever."

"So…you keep up with blading too?"

"How could I not? This sport is almost as awesome as soccer! I'll admit I've kind of tried it out just for fun. It's fun actually - though I could never see myself going professional like Tyson."

"You play soccer?"

"Yeah. I was the varsity captain in high school. Actually got a scholarship for it for college. I love soccer and actually want to play professionally one day." She paused, the two now walking together back to the stadium. "Geez, where are my manners? We haven't even been introduced."

_You don't need it. _Bree silently stated, but kept those thoughts to herself.

"My name's Amelia Ross."

Bree took her hand and shook it shyly, "Breana Summers. You can call me Bree."

"So what brings you to Barcelona? The tournament?"

"What? Oh, no. My mother is from here so I decided to come visit."

"Oooh, getting in touch with family roots. Gotcha."

"What about you?"

"Oh, on summer break and all, so I decided to come root for the Majestics. I can't believe they made the finals! I can't wait to see them after and give them my congratulations."

Green eyes had widened, "You…get to see them?"

"Yeah," Amelia said it nonchalantly, "I'm friends with Johnny. His mum and mine met in college, while mine was studying abroad in Glasgow. Kind of got stuck with him some summers."

"Wow. I had no idea."

She gave a cheerful laugh, "Most people don't. Like to keep it on the down low, ya know? Crazy paparazzi. Last thing we need is some bogus article about us dating or something."

"So…you don't like Johnny?"

"Nah. Bad boys aren't my style. Honestly, I don't date much. There's gotta be something that really clicks before I even consider it. Rather have the friendship." Amelia's bright eyes glanced at her as they reached the stadium, "So do you have a boyfriend?"

Her cheeks warmed unpleasantly, "Um…no…not really…"

"Hmm…"

Bree noticed those eyes examining her from head-to-toe, her cheek leaning into her palm as she went to tuck her bangs behind her ear, biting down on her lower lip.

"Don't see why not. You're like totally pretty. More like in a bookish way, but it's adorable. Surely some lucky guy has his eyes on you." Amelia grinned, "I know! He probably is intimidated by your beauty~"

Bree's blush darkened, "T-Thank you."

"Hmm? What for?"

"C-Complimenting me…"

Amelia blinked and smiled, "Well, you're pretty and it's nice to be told that. Don't thank me for stating the truth though. So how long are you in Barcelona?"

"To be honest, I'm thinking of heading back to Texas soon. I've seen the entire city pretty much and don't have much reason to stay."

"Have you ever been to Rome?"

_Where the heck did that come from?_

"No. Just Spain."

"Oh, okay." Amelia saw that Bree had stopped, making a face as her seat was now taken. "Hey, I got a private section and I'm just chilling by myself. If you wanna sit by me…"

"Really?" Bree whipped her head to look at her in surprise.

Amelia nodded, "Sure thing. Plus, it's really close up to the stage. You can see everything!"

"Awesome! Thanks a lot!"

Laughing, the bronze-haired girl led the way. Soon they were sitting in front row seats, with Amelia occasionally making comments about the statistics as the announcers - Brad Best and AJ Topper - were making just before the final match. It had come down between the Majestics and BBA Revolution.

Bree felt her breath catch as she watched, taking in the Majestics for the first time in person. Magazines and articles were dull in comparison to the real thing. They had really matured, physically and as a team. The matches were ten times more intense than the ones she had witnessed earlier.

Amelia laughed at the deer in the headlights expression on the freckled girl's face, before cupping her hands around her mouth, whooping and cheering as Johnny McGregor stepped up for his match. Those lavender eyes locked on them and he gave an arrogant smirk, even going to the means of winking.

Bree could only stare as Amelia fell into a fit of giggles beside her.

Every inch of Johnny screamed "bad boy".

Tall, muscular, that feral air that surrounded him like fire. His red hair, untamed, was contrasted with his lucky bandana, tawny skin, and lavender eyes. He was wearing a an orange vest with the sleeves ripped off over a blue muscle shirt, his jeans tattered and ripped at the knees, wearing black boots and blue fingerless gloves.

This was just his _Beyblade_ attire and already she had to keep herself from drooling. She hastily wiped her mouth, just in case, and quickly bit her lip in an attempt to fight back the heat flooding her face.

And here she thought Tala had been hot…

Johnny was smoking hot. His shirt exposed every muscled pane of his chest. Not to mention that growth spurt now put him close to six-two. She was only five-five herself, meaning he would tower over her and make her feel tiny.

It was seriously hard to contain her blush now.

"Of course," Amelia gave a playful look of annoyance as the girls practically lost it. "Hah! They seriously think they want to be with him? Woooow."

"W-Whattya mean?"

She blew her bangs out of her eyes, "Johnny's totally oblivious to the emotions of girls and he isn't exactly the approachable type. Honestly, the only reason he understands me is because I contain my girliness around him and just let loose." Shaking her head, Amelia turned her golden gaze on the twenty-four-year-old down below. "I feel sorry for his ex-girlfriends. He's stubborn and prideful. Anything that even leads in the direction of serious, he bolts. It's pathetic."

"I thought that was all Enrique…"

She shook her head again, "No. That's just the magazine's hype. Enrique's the one getting played - not the other way around. But with Johnny…"

Bree swallowed hard.

She knew Amelia was right.

She _was_ Johnny's friend after all.

She knew he was trouble when he walked in.

"Anyway, he does have a sweet side. _Somewhere_ under that hard exterior of his." Amelia shrugged, "Maybe the right girl hasn't walked into his life." Her eyes scanned over the shrieking girls as the match continued. "Though none of them are his type. Too girly and just… loud."

"So what would be Johnny's type?"

Bree tried to keep the hopeful tone out of her voice - she inwardly smacked herself. He was famous; she was a nobody from Texas. It wasn't like she even stood a chance anyway.

Yet, she found herself curious.

"Honestly…"

She paused, turning those bright and devious eyes toward the brunette, a small smirk crossing her lips.

"Someone like you."

-;-

Amelia walked quickly toward the locker rooms, making sure that Bree was behind her. The shy brunette was keeping her eyes on her sandals as she followed. Her actions were cute, making her seem younger, but once getting to know the Spanish-bred girl, Amelia had discovered she was very mature for her age. In a way, she kind of reminded the soccer player of Robert, whom she had met on a couple of occasions.

Though she wasn't nearly as stuffy.

Truth be told, Amelia wasn't very close to the other Majestics. That would be changing however. She had always been close to Johnny - honestly, she was the closest thing to a best friend the Scot had next to Robert - with those two butting heads over every little thing. She had become an email buddy of Oliver's, usually the two of them chatting on the phone every now and then. Enrique was beyond a mystery to her. He had flirted with her occasionally, but his attitude toward her was actually more friendship-based. Maybe it was because she wasn't one to fawn over them. She liked them each, but she did always put off an air of disinterested in anything beyond friendship.

She had school to worry about.

Friends didn't get heartbroken so easily.

"You ready?"

Amelia glanced over her shoulder, sincerely concerned as Bree looked nervous. She hoped the girl wouldn't freak out. She was shy, but sweet. That's what she wanted to expose the boys to - the sincere, sweet girls that usually were overlooked, but were ten times more beautiful than any of the women who had come along and used them.

Oh, how she hated those bitches…

But that was a thing of the past and Amelia wasn't going to give up. She loved Johnny like a big brother and wanted him to realize that not all women were evil - though there was a part of her that was a bit scary. She kept that side to herself though, unless it was that time of the month. Hell, all women were scary then.

Bree gave a slight nod, but she could tell those mint green eyes would immediately be looking for a hiding place in case things went badly. Amelia doubted it, but she gave her a reassuring smile anyway. It wouldn't hurt.

She opened the door and strolled in, immediately cursing her timing in her head as Johnny punched the locker. Bree gave a timid squeak, one that reminded her of a mouse; quickly looking back to make sure the brunette wouldn't be bolting out of there. The argument they had walked in on ceased, the air around them very tense.

Robert was standing with his arms crossed; a firm glare in place as his crimson eyes narrowed on Johnny, who was breathing heavily with his fist still pressed against the metal. He was biting back the pain from his most-likely busted knuckles, glancing at the two girls, before angrily looking down. Oliver had immediately begun to look for the first-aid kit while Enrique stood behind him, uncertainly glancing between his captain and the fiery redhead.

"I take it you guys aren't handling the loss very well."

"Jonathan isn't," Robert retorted, not even looking at the bronze-haired girl.

She walked forward, not even showing an ounce of fear as she touched the Scot's shoulder. He wordlessly pulled his fist away, revealing the nasty bruising and the blood seeping through the knuckles of his glove. Amelia looked at Oliver, who handed her the first-aid kit that he had located under the bench.

"Sit,"

Bree was surprised that he did without protest, Amelia plopping down beside him and carefully peeling off the glove. He hissed in pain and she gave him a sympathetic glance, before beginning to clean his gashes. Enrique had finally noticed the timid brunette, breaking into that sweet smile as he approached her.

"It isn't every day Amelia brings a friend when she visits us!" he exclaimed, "It's nice to meet you." With that dazzling smile still in place, the blond took her hand and placed a chaste kiss to it. "My name is Enrique Giancarlo. May I ask what your name is, princess?"

Amelia giggled a bit as she rummaged through the kit, "Calm yourself, Casanova."

Bree was a little taken aback by his forward nature, but smiled nonetheless. "My name's Bree," she said with her tone quiet and soft.

"Oli, isn't she adorable?" the Italian turned to the beret-wearing greenette, a smile in place. "Almost like a kitten!"

Oliver sweatdropped yet chuckled, "Don't scare her, Enri."

He blinked, those cerulean eyes widening in slight panic. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"Just don't put any moves on her." Amelia piped up, ignoring every wince and feral growl that the Scot was giving her as she tugged and tightened the bandages around his knuckles. She gave him a dull stare as he swore and tried to jerk his hand away, "Stop jerking around, stupid."

"I ain't stupid, you sadistic brat."

"Want them to get infected?" Amelia simply replied.

"…no…"

"Then sit _still_," she gave another tug, with him arching his back and releasing a feral sound.

"How can I when you're only makin' it _worse_?"

"Am not. And you're the one who punched the locker. Dummy."

He fell silent, unable to come up with a retort to fact. Oliver gave a small chuckle himself, Enrique having finally released Bree. She was then surprised by Robert giving a polite bow to her.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Bree."

She blushed at the formality, "Y-you can just call me Bree. I really don't mind."

"That short for Breana?" Johnny surprisingly spoke to her.

She nodded, "I prefer Bree."

"Bree's cuter. Suits you."

Her heart thumped violently in her chest, surprised by those words. No one seemed to take notice though, with Amelia giving a "there!" as she finished bandaging his hand and then handing him a bottle of aspirin. "Take two."

"Sure thing, _Mum_."

She rolled her eyes before turning to the other three, "So, guys, glad you made yourselves comfortable around Bree." She then muttered to herself, "It's a start, at least…"

"I'm Oliver," the Frenchman finally found his chance to introduce himself. "You look a bit hungry. I have some leftovers from lunch."

Bree quickly shook her head, not wanting to be rude.

"The stuffy one is Robert." Amelia teased, patting his shoulder. "She's just a girl, dork. Say hi."

"I did…" he muttered, glancing away from both of them and shifting uncomfortably.

"No, you were all stuffy with it. Try it. Just say "hi, I'm Robert." Kay?"

"Amelia, please stop trying to make us…" the German trailed off, unable to find the words.

"Like commoners?" A finely arched brow rose, "You guys have to learn to blend with both worlds. Yeesh, aristocracy." An eye-roll ensued.

"You happen to be aristocracy yourself, woman." Johnny quipped. "You have Italian roots that date back as far as Enrique's."

"Meh, technicalities."

Robert rubbed his temple as if he was getting a headache from the rambunciousness. Bree noticed the aspirin and walked over, picking it up (not to mention trying her hardest not to look at Johnny) and then handed it to him. The German blinked, taken aback by the simple gesture, but the faintest smile crossed his lips.

"You guys did great. Second place is awesome." Amelia then stated the reason she was there.

"Thank you, _cherie_." Oliver replied, giving her a sweet smile. "It wasn't that terrible of a loss."

"Exactly," Enrique piped up. "Just means we gotta train harder for next year. I mean, we made it to the final match. We finally got to take on Tyson again."

"And we lost," Johnny stated, his tone bitter. "All our honor was at stake and we dishonored our families as knights."

Amelia sighed, "Johnny, be proud of the battles you've won… don't dwell on the ones that you've lost. All you're going to do is be driven by rage."

"So what? The hell does it matter to you anyway?"

"It matters because I'm supposed to be your friend."

"…you are…"

"Then don't bite my head off, dork."

She casually smacked him upside the head, Johnny giving her a glare and rubbing the spot as the perky girl then turned to the other three.

"So I'm going to take Bree out for dinner."

_Since when?!_

"So I'll be back at the hotel tonight."

"Alright, we'll see you then." Oliver replied, nudging Enrique a bit.

He nodded, "Yeah, see ya!"

"Be careful," Robert said, thinking of their safety.

"We will, silly~" Amelia then took Bree's hand and began to drag her out of the locker room. "Bye guys!"

"It was nice meeting you, Breana." Robert said.

She felt a little uncomfortable but couldn't find it in her heart to correct the German. Oliver and Enrique also chorused a farewell.

Silence fell between the two girls for a few minutes.

"Since when are we going to dinner?" Bree couldn't help but ask as the two were headed for the exit.

"Well, there's something I want to ask you. Plus, we're friends now. You plan on leaving Barcelona…how about you have dinner with me and enjoy the beauty one last night?"

Bree hesitated, before deciding it wasn't that bad of an idea. Amelia was nice and she wasn't a stranger now - the two had gotten to know each other rather well. It was surprising.

Simon was one of the few people she felt at ease with, but with Amelia…

"Alright,"

"Great! I know this awesome Italian place. C'mon!"

Smiling softly, Bree allowed her new friend to pull her into the sunlight.

-;-

It was nice to go out with a friend like this, Bree realized. The conversation was chipper, the two getting along so well despite how shy of a person the brunette was and how open and outgoing Amelia turned out to be. It was also interesting to be dressed up and in a nice Italian restaurant.

After leaving the stadium, Amelia had dragged the stunned brunette to her hotel. She had compared their clothing sizes, finding they wore the same size. The only difference was Bree had a much larger bust than her, so the black dress she had borrowed was a little snug around the bodice, but other than that fit her frame nicely. They even wore the same size in shoes, Amelia lending her a pair of kitten heels.

Bree felt a little uncomfortable at first - she normally only wore dresses for special occasions.

She guessed that this was one. She was eating out with a new friend she had made in Barcelona. She had also met the Majestics.

That was definitely cool.

She had even had her hair done, Amelia giving it a slight curl with a beautiful rose clipped behind her ear to complete the look. With her light tan complexion and Spanish blood, she fit the part quite well. Amelia had grinned as she noticed that well-dressed men were checking them out - more so on Bree's behalf. She hoped to help the girl come a little more out of her shell.

She herself had let her hair down, it straight and cascading nicely down her bare back, for the black dress she wore was a spaghetti strap with the back having criss-crossing strings. She wore an ample amount of make-up, bringing out her already pretty features. Her sharp gold eyes glanced around the room as she lifted her glass of white wine to her lips.

"I have to hand it to you, Bree, you blend in nicely."

"Excuse me?"

"We're in a place that most aristocrats dine at while here. You're polite, your table manners are superb, and you just…fit in. It's nice bringing a normal person in this place and not getting looks."

Bree blushed at the compliment, smiling a bit. "I'm having fun."

"Good! That was my goal~"

"So, Amelia…I was wondering about earlier…"

"Yes?"

"Um, not about the Majestics. I mean…Robert and the others…" She felt strange to call them that here. "You asked me about Italy. Is it because of your Italian roots?"

The Ross heiress shook her head, "You caught me."

"Huh?"

"I'm leaving for Italy tomorrow. I know you're contemplating leaving for the rest of summer, but… I thought it would be nice if you came with me."

"To…Italy?"

Amelia nodded.

"I…I can't…"

"You wouldn't have to worry about the plane ticket. A private plane will be taking us."

"N-No…it's not that! It's just… how could I impose like that? And…I mean…we only just met…"

Amelia leaned back a bit, turning her face a bit. Bree felt bad to see the smile she usually had slip from her features.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I forgot."

Bree blinked in surprise, _How can someone forget that we've only known each other for maybe eight hours?_

"It's just… I know you're going to leave. And honestly, as weird as it sounds, I don't want to say goodbye yet. I'm staying in Rome for the rest of the summer and I thought it would be great to give you a summer adventure of your life. I understand - I'm a stranger. It just…felt so easy to befriend you. I really wanted to see where our friendship would go, especially if you stayed with me the rest of summer."

Bree hesitated.

Amelia sounded sincere.

It was stupid though. They were strangers. She couldn't just run off to Italy with some strange girl she had just encountered by accident!

No, no, definitely not!

She paused though - technically, she knew Amelia through her family. Her cousins spoke highly of her, of how she was a great person and simply wanted to make others happy. It was just how she was.

And, as much as the brunette couldn't wrap her mind around it, she really felt a kinship with the other girl. They were the same age, both traveling alone, and they had clicked so well as friends. Polar opposites, yet it was so easy to talk and open up with her.

"I'm sorry, I can't."

Amelia sighed, "Well, I tried…" She smiled and then pulled out her phone, "Can we at least exchange numbers, in case you change your mind?"

Bree nodded, though she doubted she would.

The rest of dinner consisted of basic girl chat, with no more mention of Italy. They chatted about Amelia's cousins - Terrance and Christina - for awhile before Bree noticed the time.

"Oh, it's getting late and you have an early flight."

"It's not till ten,"

"Still, I should probably head back to my aunt's before she gets worried."

"Alright, we'll take a cab."

Nodding, Bree watched as Amelia went to pay for dinner. She hastily went to grab her purse, but froze the moment her wallet was out. Gold eyes were no longer playful, piercing and even a little intimidating. Slowly, the brunette replaced her wallet in her bag as Amelia paid the bill, the two of them leaving.

They hailed a taxi, with Amelia giving the driver directions - she spoke fluent Spanish too, something that caught Bree off-guard - to the hotel. As Amelia went to climb out, Bree grabbed her wrist.

"Something wrong?" the bronze-haired girl blinked.

"Your dress,"

"Oh, you can keep it.""But I can't!"

Amelia winked, "Consider it a goodbye present."

Bree blinked rapidly, mint green eyes wide in bewilderment as the athlete climbed out and shut the door. She waved, that sweet and friendly grin in place.

"It was nice meeting you!"

"You too!" Bree called.

She watched as Amelia disappeared from sight, looking down at the expensive dress and brushed her fingers against the soft material. The fare was already covered by Amelia, so she was dropped off and made her way to her aunt's apartment.

She showered and packed, looking around the empty apartment - her aunt still out - and then grabbed her laptop to surf the web a bit and possibly book her flight home.

It was shortly after midnight by the time Bree was about to submit her payment and book her flight. Her eyes glanced at her phone, lying on the table and then out at the dark city of beauty.

"I've gotta be absolutely crazy…"

She closed out of the tab and opened Facebook, sending a group message to her family, letting them know her decision. She then picked up her phone and selected Amelia in the contacts. It rang twice before the perky and honey-toned voice reached her ears.

"Hey, Bree! What's up?"

"Amelia, is that offer to spend the rest of summer with you still there?"

"I'll pick you up at seven~"

Bree smiled, proud of herself for deciding to take a chance.

"So, Bree, what changed your mind?"

"I think I want that summer adventure you promised."

"You got it! Man, I can't wait! Rome is going to be a blast!"

Bree's smile widened as she stood up and leaned on the balcony, looking out as her eyes danced.

"It most definitely is."

-;-

_A/N: This is a Majestics story, don't worry! The sexy boys shall be making their debut once more! I hope you guys enjoyed this introductory and I really hope you like Bree and Amelia. DaQiao17 and I put a lot of thought into the girls and I'm hoping this story is as good as some of my others, especially in the romance department~ any guesses on pairings yet? Hah, doubt it. Not enough sexy screen time for that ;p Please review guys~ I hope to have the next installment out soon._

_~Mistress of the Arts_

_Next Chapter: When in Rome_


	2. Chapter 2: When in Rome

_Disclaimer: Beyblade and characters other than my own belong to Aoki Takao. Characters based off DaQiao17 and me. Contains suggestive themes and mild swearing. Please review._

_~Mistress of the Arts_

_-x-_

_Chapter 2_

_When in Rome_

"Whoa…"

Amelia beamed as they stepped outside of the taxi, which had dropped them off outside of a gate of a large white mansion. The grounds were huge, as far as the eyes could see; with a straight drive that led to the front marble steps. A hedge maze was on the eastern side of the courtyard, many trees lining the property. Gardens were close to the hedge maze as well. Bree had never seen a house so large before. It was obviously very old, but the Corinthian columns were brilliant in design.

Dressed in a pair of jeans with brown strappy sandals and an off-the-shoulder white blouse with lace trim and flowed around her frame to her hips, Bree was not as hot as she had been in Barcelona. The temperature was only around 86 degrees, with slight humid and dry air, but it was tolerable than Spain's weather had been. Mint eyes took in the sky, noticing that there were not many clouds.

Amelia stood beside her, grinning as she took in the estate before her. She was wearing a pair of pink and white plaid shorts with a v-neck white t-shirt over a pink camisole, a pair of white heeled sandals completing the outfit with her hair pulled back. A diamond necklace rested around her neck on a simple silver chain.

"Pretty impressive."

Amelia's tone had little red flags go off in Bree's head. The bookworm quickly looked at her, head tipping to the side as she saw those topaz eyes taking in the estate as if it was the first time she had ever laid eyes on it.

"This is your family's house, isn't it?"

"No," Manicured fingers brushed bronze bangs out of her face and behind her ear, "This estate belongs to the Tornatore family."

Her eyes widening, Bree stumbled and stuttered with her words, trying to get a coherent sentence out.

"B-But…I thought we were staying at your family's house here in Rome!"

Amelia shook her head, "I never said that. We're staying with - oh, here they come."

"Amelia! Glad to see you could make it!"

Bree whipped her head toward the sound of the voices, familiar and unforgettable. Her eyes narrowed on the Ross heiress as she turned her gaze back on her, seeing her waving and calling out to the two Majestics rushing toward them down the driveway. Oliver had that cheerful grin in place, amethyst eyes lighting up as his shoulder-length green hair bounced. Enrique was beside him, grinning wildly as he spotted the brunette.

"You convinced Bree to come too! Awesome!" the Italian exclaimed, once they had reached the gate.

"We're staying with the Majestics?" Bree hissed, glaring at the outgoing female.

"Yup~ we're staying with Enrique."

"But you said we were going to spend summer together!"

"We are - along with the boys." Amelia turned to her, "What's wrong?"

Bree hesitated - she was only upset because the information that they would be staying with Europe's finest Beyblading team and in one of the member's households had been neglected to be mentioned. It wasn't that she disliked the boys, she just felt a little anxious and uncomfortable that she hadn't been told.

_Not like I can do much about it. Let's just hope things don't turn out bad._

Amelia turned back to the other two, who had finally reached the gate and were opening it for them. Being the gentlemen that they were, Oliver and Enrique immediately grabbed the handles of their luggage for them.

"This summer is going to be a blast." Enrique was saying, "Mama left the entire estate to us too, since she's spending the summer in Paris."

Amelia smiled at that, "I'm surprised she was so comfortable with letting Bree and me stay here with you guys."

Oliver chuckled, "It's because Robert and I are here as well. She trusts us at least."

Bree was a little confused. Didn't Amelia say that this estate belonged to the Tornatore family? Enrique was a Giancarlo.

Her confusion was apparent on her face, because she suddenly heard her female companion speaking to her.

"Enrique's mother is the famous fashion designer Felicia Tornatore."

"Oh, I wasn't aware of that."

The Italian sent her a small smile, obviously comfortable with speaking about his background with her. Maybe it was because she was a commoner and it wouldn't influence his reputation any in the world of blue bloods.

"My father is Enrico Giancarlo - the only thing we share is our names and blood. He left my mother when I was barely two. She was eighteen when she was pregnant. Her parents disowned her and my father's parents took her in. They cut him off and everything. When I was five, my mother's parents came back into her life. I don't talk to my father much."

Bree felt sympathetic toward the blond, but didn't know what to say. She was surprised that he was so at ease with talking about his family affairs so easily. They had reached the front doors now, the four of them greeted by a butler. He offered to show the girls to their rooms - Bree still in a minor state of shock - but the two turned him down.

"We have tons of space, so you can stay in whatever guest room you feel the most comfortable with."

Bree stepped closer to Oliver, "The closest to his room, please."

Oliver blinked and smiled gently, "No need to be afraid, _cherie._" he still patted her hand, which was holding his arm. "There's a room right next door. I'll show you the way."

Enrique glanced at the heiress, "There's a room across from Johnny's."

She scrunched up her nose, "And have to deal with his snoring? No way! If there's a room closer to Bree's or even Robert's, I don't mind. But please don't put me anywhere within snoring range."

Chuckling, the blond indicated toward the West Wing. "I have the perfect room for you, since the others are all in the East Wing." Blue eyes locked on his best friend, "Oliver, I'll be showing Amelia to her room. Make sure you calm poor Bree down. She looks as if she's seen a ghost."

"Oh, I kind of neglected to tell her that we'd be staying with you, Enrique."

"How devious," Oliver sweatdropped and sent Bree a sympathetic smile. "I'm afraid the poor girl's been around the King of Sarcasm much too long."

"Guilty~"

Shaking his head with a slight chuckle, the artist then turned to lead Bree down the corridor to the East Wing.

-;-

Oliver led her up the grand staircase in the foyer and down the right hallway. They passed by several doors before the greenette stopped before one of the identical doors.

"Well here we are, Bree," Oliver placed his hand upon the doorknob and turned it, opening the door into a sunlit room.

Bree gasped lightly as she stepped in on the plush crème carpet as she took in the room. It was twice the size of her own room! There was a canopy bed placed back against the wall with gauzy sky blue drapes and the mattress was draped in a crème and blue duvet, pillows were piled against the headboard. There was also a mahogany dresser and desk in the room as well. A silver vanity sat in the corner with a plush crème seat.

"This is bigger than my room back home!"

"Yes, I'll admit, Felicia has exquisite taste in bedroom décor." the Frenchman chuckled, smiling to himself as he watched the expressions on Bree's face. It warmed him to see her light up the way she did. He watched as Bree placed her luggage on the bed, sitting on the edge and bouncing a bit. "Is it comfortable?"

"Mmhm! I should be happy in this room."

Oliver smiled even more at that, before moving to plop himself down on the plush crème seat. Mint orbs blinked a few times, surprised to see him giving her that inquisitive look with his blue-violet eyes that reminded her of iris flowers.

"You really are quite lovely,"

"Um…thank you? I think?"

Oliver scooted the chair closer, with the brunette leaning back, her eyes widening. In all honesty, she felt creeped out that her personal space was being invaded. She was almost relieved to see that stock of wild red hair over the navy beret.

"Yo, Frenchie, you're invading her space like a creeper again. I get that you're like an artist or whatever, but most girls would've filed for a restraining order by now."

Oliver hastily scooted back, "Sorry! I was lost to my muse again!" he glanced over at Johnny, who snorted and kept walking. He waited until he was sure the coast was clear, Bree watching as he stealthily hurried to the door and shut it. "I'm going to tell you something I haven't even told my team yet,"

"Um…okay…"

"I'm gay,"

"I KNEW IT!"

Oliver blinked, hanging his head. "Please, _cherie_, keep your voice down. I want to keep the others from knowing, especially since I've been seeing someone for three months now. I need to ease my friends into this, and then my parents. Both of our families are well known and -"

"…let me guess!"

"Um…"

"It's either gotta be Kai, Brooklyn, or Garland!"

Oliver sweatdropped, "Brooklyn."

Bree squealed a bit, "So cute!"

Another sweatdrop. Plopping himself back in the seat, Oliver gave a depressed sigh of sorts, which was a cue for the American to collect herself. She did and then smiled at him.

"I think it's perfectly fine. I understand why you're having a hard time breaking the news to the public and your team. So, how did this budding romance come to be anyway?"

Oliver gave a dreamy smile, "It was over Spring Break. I took holiday in Switzerland. While I was there, I bumped into none other than Brooklyn Maesfield. We started to chat - he's a lot better than he was when he had his little mental episode when BEGA fell - and we hit it off. It was the most romantic weekend. He even taught me how to ice skate. We had our first kiss in the snow…" the greenette trailed off, noticing that Bree was grinning now. "What?"

"That is just so adorable. I'm happy for you, Oliver."

"What about you, Bree? Do you have someone special?"

She shook her head, "I did have a crush on a boy back at school, but he was a senior and graduated. Since then, I haven't really met anyone I'm interested in."

Okay, the last bit was a little fib, but she wasn't sure how she felt towards the Scot. She was trying to heed Amelia's warnings about him. At first, it was easy because she just had been expecting to spend the rest of summer with _just_ Amelia.

Now she was stuck with him for the next two and a half months.

_This is gonna be a lot harder than I thought…_

"Well, you are a beautiful girl. I know that you'll catch someone's eye - and heart - quite soon~" Oliver gave a giggle before standing up, "Alright, I'll let you be so you can unpack." Turning to leave, the French-blader of twenty-three paused in the doorway, glancing over his shoulder as his hand brushed the doorway. "And please, make yourself at home. We're friends, no?"

"Of course," Bree smiled, feeling as if she had bonded with the boy, much as she had bonded with Amelia. "And don't worry -" she mimicked zipping her lips for effect, "-your secret's safe with me."

Smiling, Oliver left, leaving the brunette to her thoughts as she began to unpack. She walked over to the window, looking out and seeing the magnificent gardens and the hedge maze. The back of the estate was vast, with many trees as well. She wondered what was on the western side, but she figured she would find out later. The American then went back to her task, feeling her stomach grumble a bit. She then grabbed her phone, calling Amelia since she didn't have any of the others' numbers yet.

"What's up, Bree?"

"I'm a little hungry… can you ask Enrique what dinner plans are?"

She heard the heiress cover the mouthpiece to ask, "He says it's your choice. If you want to eat out or stay in. Oliver's more than willing to show off his skills as a chef."

"We're in Rome - I want authentic Italian pizza!"

Amelia giggled, "We can order it,"

"Heck no! I want to go _out_! We're in _Rome!_" She repeated in her excitement.

"Going out it is! We'll head out in about an hour or so."

"Alright. Oh, and can you go ahead and have Enrique text me all of their numbers so I can call them? I would hate to make you play messenger."

"Sure thing. Last thing we need is the messenger being killed over a miscommunication anyway. Though autocorrect does like to try and do the same…"

Bree giggled herself, "Definitely. Alright, see you in a few."

They hung up, with Bree pausing as she looked down at her outfit. "Maybe I should change."

The brunette began to hunt through her clothes, wondering what would be appropriate to wear out for her first night in Rome.

-;-

While Oliver went to show Bree to her room, Enrique was happily being acquainted with the soccer player as they entered the West Wing. Amelia was excited that she was staying with them this summer - she had wanted to be better acquainted with the rest of Johnny's team for a while now, but never had the chance. Bringing Bree along had been a plus in the outgoing girl's eyes.

"So it's just your mother and you?"

Enrique nodded, "Usually Oliver too. We've been best friends since we were in diapers. Our mothers knew each other since they were teenagers. They shared a dorm together at the same Arts School they attended. My father also attended as well."

"That's really cool. What does Oliver's mother do?"

"Olette is a professional dancer. She also paints and plays the piano."

"Oliver must take after her,"

"He does. He also takes after his father, Deveraux."

Amelia smiled, enjoying the smile on Enrique's face as he talked about his best friend. They were nearing the end of the corridor now, Enrique pausing beside a portrait of a beautiful blond woman. Her hair fell in elegant ringlets to her shoulders and she had beautiful green eyes. In her arms was a small blond boy, perhaps around the age of two. His waved locks barely brushed his shoulders and he was wearing what resembled a sailor suit. Bronze eyes took in the portrait slowly.

"Olette painted this," Enrique explained. "That's my mother and me when I was three."

"You were so cute when you were little~"

Enrique nervously ran his fingers through his neat, waved hair. "_Grazie_,"

Amelia giggled and replied, "_Siete i benvenuti~"_

"You speak Italiano?"

"I know a little. My _nonna_ was born and raised in Venice. She taught me some when I was little."

"Your grandmother must've been an incredible woman. I've been to Venice a few times. It's beautiful there."

"I would like to visit her soon. I was hoping to this summer, but things came up. At least I'm a little closer to her."

Enrique hesitated, "Perhaps you and I could go one weekend. I'm sure by then Bree will be comfortable enough being left alone with Robert and the others."

Amelia grinned, "I would really love that, Enrique! Thank you so much!"

She hugged him, something that actually made the Italian's heart skip a beat, especially since it had caught him off-guard. He immediately embraced her back, savoring the warmth from the hug. She had a sweet scent too, like roses. Amelia pulled back and then turned to look around the corridor again, leaving his azure gaze to trail after her almost longingly.

To this day, he still didn't understand why Amelia Ross was off-limits to everyone else - not that he could see Oliver or Robert developing an interest in the girl. Johnny was very tight-lipped about his reasons, but he made it clear that none of his friends were allowed to pursue the heiress. He said that if they did, they would be violating Bro Code.

To violate Bro Code, especially when enforced by the Scot, would be asking for a death wish.

Too many times had Enrique been on the receiving end of one of Johnny's rages.

He could still look though.

"Is this your room?" Amelia asked, her sweet honey voice bringing the Italian out of his thoughts.

"Ah, yes! It's…a little messy right now. I refuse to let the maids in. Once they pick everything up, I can never find anything."

"Oh come on, let me see. It can't be _that_ bad."

Enrique felt his cheeks warm, "Please, let me clean up. I promise I'll show you later."

"Alright, fine. But I'm holding you to that promise." Amelia poked his chest playfully before turning to the doors across the hall, "What's this room?"

The blond quickly crossed the hall and grasped the handle, giving her a smile before opening the door. Amelia gave a soft gasp - and considering she was also wealthy and used to glamour, Enrique considered that a score on his part for impressing her. The room was decorated in soft tones of gold and white.

It was much bigger than the guest rooms in the East Wing as well. The carpet was a deep gold with an intricate white, brown, gold, and orange designed oval rug. The bed was a canopy bed with white gossamer curtains and the bedspread being gold with a dragon design. There was also a wardrobe, made out of mahogany with a matching dresser, and a bookcase that had many books - most written in Italian - and a matching bedside table with a beautiful glass lamp made out of yellow and orange stain-glass.

"This room is gorgeous, Enrique!"

"It's your room for the summer, _bella_."

She squealed, hugging him again for the second time. Enrique blinked and couldn't help but grin wildly as she did; definitely enjoying the affections the heiress gave him. Once she pulled back, Amelia reached up to tuck her bronze strands behind her ear, smiling up at him.

Blue met gold, with a light blush tinting the Italian's cheeks.

"Say, Amelia, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to -"

"Ahem,"  
Enrique sweatdropped and tensed, glancing over his shoulder and immediately looking caught at the sight of Johnny. The redhead had his arms crossed, a brow rose as if to say 'the hell you doin', pretty boy? You honestly wanna test _me_?' before the Scotsman spoke.

"Why the hell are you makin' her stay all the way down here when the rest of us are all the way back that way?"

"Because I know how loud you snore," Amelia rolled her eyes. "Why are you down here anyway, Johnny?"

"Makin' sure somebody ain't pulling any funny business."

"Johnny, you really need to learn to let things go."

He gave a shrug, "By the way, Oliver was creepin' on that friend of yours."

"What do you mean?" Enrique made a face - that didn't sound like Oliver.

"He went all freaky trance like again."

"Ah, his muse."

"Yeah, well, it was creepy."

Amelia started to push on the Scot, "Go away, I need to unpack!"

The redhead rolled his eyes, "Fine, I'm goin'! But I'm taking Enrique with me."

Enrique gave a face that clearly read 'why me?' before he was being drug off. Johnny maybe got five feet away when Amelia's phone began to ring, her ring-tone Rihanna's _Disturbia_, which immediately made the redhead cringe and slam his hands over his ears until she answered the call.

"What's up, Bree?"

"I'm a little hungry… can you ask Enrique what dinner plans are?"

The heiress covered the mouthpiece to ask, "Enri, Bree wants to know what dinner plans are."

He managed to shake the Scot off, "It's her choice. We can eat out or stay in. I know Oli would love to cook."

Amelia went back to her conversation, turning and not noticing that Johnny had snagged the blond into a headlock. "He says it's your choice. If you want to eat out or stay in. Oliver's more than willing to show off his skills as a chef."

"We're in Rome - I want authentic Italian pizza!"

Amelia giggled, "We can order it,"

"Heck no! I want to go _out_! We're in _Rome!_" Bree repeated excitedly.

"Going out it is! We'll head out in about an hour or so."

"Alright. Oh, and can you go ahead and have Enrique text me all of their numbers so I can call them? I would hate to make you play messenger."

"Sure thing. Last thing we need is the messenger being killed over a miscommunication anyway. Though autocorrect does like to try and do the same…"

Bree giggled herself, "Definitely. Alright, see you in a few."

Amelia hung up, turning and sweatdropping to see that Johnny had wrestled Enrique against the wall. Sweatdropping, she tipped her head to the side.

"Do I even want to know?"

Enrique simply gave a muffled groan that sounded like 'help me' before Johnny cackled evilly. Rolling her eyes, Amelia walked straight up to them, stood on tiptoe, and smacked Johnny upside the head. He hissed and released Enrique, who slumped to the floor looking dazed and lightheaded. Johnny rubbed his ear, it ringing a bit from the slap.

"What the hell, woman?"

"Stop tormenting our host."

Grumbling, he simply rolled his eyes.

"I needed him conscious too… way to go."

"Why do you need him conscious?"

"Bree needs all of your guys' cell numbers so that she doesn't have to keep using me as messenger girl."

Johnny blinked, surprisingly pulling out his phone from his back pocket of his tattered blue jeans. Amelia had finally gotten a good look at her childhood friend. She had never seen him dressed casually before - wearing black hiking boots, tattering jeans, a gray tank, and a dark blue and gray plaid button down left open with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

She hated to admit that he looked good.

"What's her number?"

"Uhhh…"

"I'm just gonna send it to her."

"Alright…" Amelia read off the number, and Johnny did just that. "Since when are you so helpful?"

"She hasn't pissed me off, unlike the rest of you idiots."

Gold eyes narrowed, "I can usually tolerate a lot of your crap, Jonathan, but right now you're pressing on _my_ last nerve."

Johnny actually took a step back, "Later."

He had learned a long time ago that Amelia had a lot of tolerance. If he pushed her too far, he would regret it. Sighing, Amelia knelt down to make sure Enrique was alright.

"What the hell is his problem…?" she muttered.

Johnny McGregor was the King of Sarcasm for a reason.

She just wished she knew what those reasons really were.

-;-

The pizzeria was wonderful, with the food even more so than she had ever imagined it to be. Bree had found herself eased slowly out of her shyness by the group as they went out to eat. She was still quiet, but it was growing steadily easier to talk to them. She liked each guy for his own quirks.

Robert was the intellect, so conversing about books and history had been their bonding point. He was also a little awkward and shy, so whenever the others would get rowdy it was easy to talk about something else. He pointed out historical landmarks on their way to and from the pizzeria. He even promised to take Bree sightseeing the next day with Amelia.

Oliver was her silent protector. He would swoop in whenever he sensed the brunette's discomfort or her being overwhelmed, usually by the energetic ones out of the group - Enrique, Johnny, and Amelia - and quickly bring Bree back to a comfort zone. She had the feeling he would become her gay bestie by the time the night was over. He had also been the only one to read her emotions and thoughts with his perceptive eyes.

Enrique was loveable in his own way, but got out of hand. It was as if the only way he knew how to talk to a girl was to impress her. After awhile, Bree had to calm him down and tell him to just take a deep breath. He discovered her love of Italy had actual come from playing _Assassin's Creed_ - with the two of them getting into a detailed conversation about the game series, since the blond was a very big fanatic about it.

Johnny…

Johnny was hard to describe. He included her in the conversations, something that caught her off-guard. She had expected him to ignore her and just do his own thing. Well, he did do his own thing; especially pick on Enrique, which only got Amelia on his case. Bree had noticed that there was some mild tension between the childhood friends over the Italian. Amelia clearly didn't like the fact that their host was being tormented for no apparent reason, though Robert kept trying to reassure the heiress that it was just their normal relationship.

They stopped for gelato on the way back. Bree loved it even more than ice cream and was determined to try Oliver's homemade gelato as soon as possible. She was taken aback by the European's forwardness, especially when Oliver made her try some of his orange gelato since they had all gotten different flavors. Amelia and Johnny were playfully squabbling and stealing one another's - though apparently only Johnny was allowed to steal the bronze-haired girl's, because he threatened Enrique with his spoon when the blond tried to sneak some of Amelia's himself.

She was getting mixed signals about Johnny and Amelia. She wasn't sure why she felt a little worried, wondering if there was something between them. For the most part, they had a basic brother-sister relationship. Still, the brunette couldn't help but wonder if there was something else there.

"Yo, Bree."

She jolted, surprised to hear the Scot suddenly addressing her. She turned; only to blink as Johnny's spoon slipped passed her lips, tasting the cherry flavor of his gelato. She saw him smirk, those lavender eyes dancing devilishly as he withdrew his spoon slowly from her mouth. Her face warmed, especially as he licked the remaining gelato off the spoon.

_Indirect kissing! _

"Good, huh?" his smirk widened, with her feeling a sudden increase of her heartbeat.

She managed a small nod, nervously twisting her dark blond streak around her fingers as Johnny finally broke eye contact. She noticed Amelia was giving him a look, as if he had just declared he was a pixie, before shrugging and then trying to steal Robert's gelato from him. The German held his pistachio gelato protectively, clearly not wanting to share. Enrique gave a whine as Johnny swiped the last bit of his mint chocolate chip, pouting.

"Aw, here. You can share the rest of mine." Amelia offered, taking her spoon of her caramel and chocolate and holding it out to the blond.

Enrique perked up at once, allowing the heiress to feed him.

Death glares ensued from the Scot, who was immediately putting off a big brother air that made the temperature around them drop rapidly. Bree wasn't sure what overcame her, shyly stepping in the redhead's direct line of sight. Johnny blinked and looked down at her, especially as she offered her chocolate gelato to him. Johnny closed his eyes before leaning down, snagging the spoon between his lips and trying it.

She couldn't help but smile, especially as Johnny pulled back, his cheeks a little red as he turned and muttered a thanks. Feeling a little giddy, mint orbs glanced over at Oliver, who gave her a wink of approval.

"Shouldn't we be heading back now?" Robert said, noticing the time.

"Robby!"

He sweatdropped as Amelia abruptly huggled him from behind, "Do not call me that!" he hissed, eye twitching at the affection and nickname.

"Try my gelato!"

"I do not wish to spread germs."

"Spoilsport."

Oliver giggled at that, "I have an idea for when we get home. Enrique, how about you go ahead and call Augustus to come and pick us up?"

Enrique pulled out his phone, stepping away to make the call. Johnny had picked Amelia up by the back of her shirt, prying her off the red-faced German, who was clearing his throat and trying to get his focus on Oliver. The redhead let Amelia squirm a bit before dropping her flat on her ass, with her whacking his leg with his purse while he cackled evilly. Bree could only face-palm.

"What is it?"

"We should all sleep downstairs tonight, in the living room."

"Sleepover? Oliver, you do realize we haven't done that since we were like…twelve, right?"

The Frenchie puffed out his cheeks, "I'm trying to be considerate toward the _cheries_. It's their first night in Rome and staying in an unfamiliar house the first night can be a little…frightening. Remember the first time you stayed in Robert's castle?"

Johnny gave a little twitch, "Alright, I see your point."

"I've got the perfect movie-list too! ~" Oliver sang, "For action, I've chosen _The Avengers_. For scary, _Insidious_. And for fun and lighthearted, the classic _Brave_."

"_Brave_ is one of my favorite movies!" Bree exclaimed, eyes lighting up in excitement.

"Mine too!" Amelia piped up, "Merida is awesome!"

Johnny's attention was focused on the brunette, his fingers running through the back of his red tresses. "You… like Scotland?"

Bree nodded eagerly, "I love Scotland! I hope to visit one day. _Brave_ totally captures how amazing it is too~"

Was it just her, or was there a whisper of a smile on the bad boy's lips?

"Augustus will be here in five," Enrique stated. "I like the idea of a sleepover downstairs. Any objections?"

There weren't.

"Tonight's turning out to be the best ever," Bree couldn't help but say.

-;-

Oliver had a blast turning the living room into the ultimate sleepover zone. He had put down three queen-sized mattresses, all lined up together on the floor, with the ones on the ends slightly angled. There were tons of pillows and blankets. He had even made snacks for the movies. The large 72" flat screen was playing the menu title for _The Avengers_, since the boys wanted to see action first. Oliver had even gone to the means of making a tray of snacks for them, consisting of cookies on one plate and a plate of fruit on another. There was an entire case of soda, since no one thought it would be a good idea to have alcohol around the girls.

Robert had claimed the mattress on the far right, reading a book while they waited for the girls to finish their nightly routines and come downstairs. He was wearing a white t-shirt with a pair of grey sweats and socks. Sitting cross-legged beside him was Johnny, who was leaning against the couch wearing his grey tank with a pair of grey, black, and white plaid pajama bottoms.

Oliver had declared the middle mattress was for the girls, so Enrique and he would be on the far left closest to the living room entrance. Oliver was wearing a light blue button down set with slippers and even a little night cap - he was weird about always wearing a hat of some sort. He was setting up the snacks on a little end table. Enrique was lying on his stomach, huggling a pillow tight to his chest as his eyes watched the doorway, waiting for the girls. He was trying his hardest to hide his excitement about seeing them in their pajamas, but it was hard to contain. He was wearing a pair of red shorts with a white v-neck t-shirt.

They heard the girls' voices as they came down the staircase, walking into the foyer, and then turned down the hall, stopping outside of the doorway. One-by-one the Majestics looked up, all staring while three out of the four blushed a bit (they didn't have much experience with girls). Oliver simply had a cute grin on his face, feeling slightly accomplished with his plan.

Much like Amelia, he was plotting on exposing his teammates to kind down-to-earth girls who didn't have intentions on hurting them.

Bree was wearing a pair of lilac pajamas, with the top being a t-shirt with a sheep on the front, and the cotton bottoms holding sheep print on them. Of course, Johnny immediately noticed the sheep, and was staring at her as if she was a Scottish princess. Oliver and Amelia noticed this, both grinning. Robert was red-faced, quickly looking back at his book. Most likely due to Amelia's attire.

She wore a spaghetti-strap peach nightgown that stopped in mid-thigh, had ruffles underneath the bodice, and on the hem, along with was a little low-cut so it showed a small amount of cleavage. Johnny scrunched up his nose; half-tempted to make the girl go upstairs and change, but knowing her she probably had much more revealing nightclothes.

"This looks awesome!" Amelia exclaimed, before she rushed across the room and hopped over Enrique and Oliver - the blond immediately burrowing his face into the pillow as he caught a flash of her panties - while Bree walked across the room like a civilized person. "So are we going to watch the movie first, then play some games?"

"Games?" Robert dared to ask.

"You know, like Truth or Dare, maybe 20 Questions…?" They were giving her blank stares - save Enrique, who was trying to avoid death by battle-axe. "You guys…have done that before, haven't you?"

The team exchanged a look before shaking their heads.

"Lame."

"We'll figure that out, let's watch." Bree stated, eager to watch the movie.

All eyes were transfixed on the movie, with the only one daring to blink being Robert, so not to miss a single action-packed moment. Bree was leaning against the couch beside Johnny, since Amelia had taken one look at the redhead and said "snoring range!" and quickly claimed the left side of the mattress. Of course, Enrique had no problems with this. Amelia was lying on her stomach, feet kicking in the air as she chewed on apple slices, ogling Thor shamelessly. It was apparent she was attracted to blonds.

Oliver, having watched the movie many times, was watching while occasionally texting someone. The way he hid his phone though clued Bree in that it was most likely Brooklyn. She gave a small smile, feeling special that she was the only one who knew the artist's secret. By the time the credits were rolling, Amelia had propped her chin in her hand, gazing dreamily.

"What I wouldn't give to just have one date with Chris Hemsworth."

Johnny snorted at that, face-palming. "Please, woman. The fact you even are showing remote interest - even if it is some dude who took off his shirt - scares the hell out of me."

Amelia rolled her eyes before sitting up, "Alright, so I came up with the best way to play 20 Questions with a group of six!"

"How?" Enrique sat up, from where he had been pouting a bit.

The source of his pouting had been the heiress' clear adoration of the actor and knowing that if Johnny noticed him pouting he would end up dead, which only caused him to pout more.

Really, it was just an endless cycle.

"One person asks the question, everyone answers. If someone doesn't answer-" Amelia gave a cough that sounded suspiciously like Johnny's name. "-then they have to stand on top of the _Trevi Fountain_ tomorrow and sing Lady Gaga's _Born This Way_!"

Oliver giggled at the thought, "I'm game."

"Challenge accepted, bitches!" Johnny said - though he was looking at the men in the room. "Not you two," he quickly added, so not to offend their guests.

Bree simply giggled, "Sounds fun."

Even Robert agreed, after smacking Johnny with his book for his uncouth language. "I think it's a marvelous idea - though I refuse to take part in any uncouth behavior such as publicly humiliating myself. I'm more interested in getting to know Breana."

"Deal, Rob." Amelia had that playful grin in place, "If you play, you agree to the penalty terms! So just make sure you answer the questions - _honestly_." Gold eyes pinned a particular sarcastic being with a look.

"Yeah, yeah, I agree to your rules." Johnny sat up and gripped his knees, "Who goes first?"

"Ah-ah, ladies first, _mon ami_." Oliver wagged his finger at the redhead, who glowered at him.

Amelia smiled at the greenette before clapping her hands together, "Alright, so I picked out the order. First up is Bree. Then its Oliver, Enrique, Robert, Johnny, and then me."

"You sure you want to go last?"

"Mmhm! It was my idea so I want to go last. We'll each ask five questions. That sound okay?"

They exchanged a look before giving a nod.

"Awesome~ alright, Bree, you're up!"

The Spanish-bred girl hesitated, biting her thumbnail and trying to think of her first question. "Alright, do any of you have siblings?"

"Only child," Enrique piped up.

"Same here," Oliver replied.

"As with me," Robert stated.

"I got three," Johnny replied, "I'm the oldest. I got a pair of twin brothers - they're ten - named Caleb and Caël. I also got a newborn sister named Rosary - I call her Rose." He even pulled out his phone and pulled up an album for the brunette to see, revealing a set of devious looking twins with shaggy red hair, one was wearing a bandana like Johnny with blue eyes and one wearing a bandana around his neck with violet eyes. They were holding a newborn baby girl with a little tuff of red hair and chubby cheeks.

"She's so cute!" Bree exclaimed. "Though your Mom must've had a difficult time carrying a baby at her age. She must be in her 40's."

"Actually, my Mum was only fifteen when she had me… so she just turned 39. Plus she's in top health and all. She had an easy pregnancy with Rose."

"Dang," Bree blinked.

Amelia cleared her throat, "I have siblings too, you know. Well, I have a little sister in high school named Cynthia - she goes by Cyn - and I have a cousin who was raised as my brother. My aunt, his mum, was my mother's half-sister. She passed away in a car accident when Wyvern was seven. He was adopted by my parents."

"Wyvern?" Robert dared to ask.

"His real father was Norse I think. Dunno much about him. We call him Wyvie."

"Do you have siblings?" Oliver asked, feeling as if Bree should answer the question as well. Plus, he was curious.

"Yes. I have an older sister named Lucetta, she's twenty-seven, and I have a brother named Saxton, he's twenty-nine. He has a toddler named Grayson."

Amelia grinned, feeling as if the game was going well. Johnny had opened up to Bree - it was a little startling, but it made the little gears in her mind to start turning. Her eyes landed on the Frenchie, who was texting on his phone and was cuddling a pillow.

"Hmm?" amethyst orbs blinked before looking up, "Oh, it's my turn?"

"Yes, silly~ just who are you sexting with anyway?"

"I-I am not!" Oliver turned beet red, quickly hiding his phone.

Robert blinked, "Sex…ting?"

"Sexual texts," Enrique explained.

"Oh, I gotta see this!" Johnny grinned evilly, trying to reach behind Bree to snag Oliver's phone.

Oliver hastily locked the screen, smirking and then boldly putting the phone in his pants. Pouting, the redhead slumped, only to end up falling off the edge of his mattress. Bree squeaked as she suddenly had almost two-hundred pounds on her.

"Johnny!" Amelia exclaimed, but she was laughing. "Poor girl's gonna suffocate underneath you!"

Johnny struggled to get off the brunette, pausing as lavender stared into green eyes that reminded him of mint, before quickly springing backwards. He awkwardly coughed, eyes closed and arms crossed as he perched himself on the couch. There wasn't any hiding the blush that marred his tawny cheeks though. Bree was bright red herself, fidgeting and quickly hiding her face into a pillow. Enrique and Amelia snickered before turning to Oliver, who was happy that they had stopped trying to steal his phone.

"Alright, back to the game."

Oliver cleared his throat, "What career paths have you chosen?"

Amelia piped up in excitement, "Professional Soccer Player!"

"I want to be a teacher," Bree mumbled.

"Er…" Johnny blinked, "Is this a trick question?"

"You have to answer or it's _Born This Way_," Amelia smirked, gold eyes bright and devious.

Johnny fell quiet, struggling to answer.

"Managing the family business," Robert replied.

"I want to be an actor!" Enrique exclaimed.

"Seriously?" Amelia turned to him, grinning.

The blond gave a confident nod, only to make a face and send a glare at a certain Scot who was laughing his ass off at the thought.

"You? Seriously? You suck! I can read you like a book! Bwahaha!"

"Give me a moment," Amelia said sweetly, before she hopped up onto the couch and started to beat Johnny with one of the many pillows.

Laughing, Johnny blocked her attack and knocked her on her rear before taking off. Growling, the heiress took off after him, the two of them running around the living room a few times. Robert simply went back to reading during this time, while Oliver and Bree watched the exchange between the two, unsure if they should intervene. Enrique looked bored, occasionally barking at Johnny to "watch that vase!" or "you break that you buy it, McGregor!"

After about five minutes, Amelia gave up since Johnny had jumped up and grasped onto the top of the doorway, hanging there and taunting her. Due to being only five-seven, she wasn't able to reach him. She finally came back to the mattresses, flopping down and then snagging a cookie in a 'screw it, I want a cookie dammit!' manner. She munched on it with her eyes closed as Johnny finally dropped down.

"You have to do _Born This Way_ tomorrow."

"Shit," Johnny groaned, plopping back down.

"Okay, Enrique, it's your go."

"Favorite country?"

"Spain!" Bree exclaimed, proud of her roots.

Johnny looked a bit - just a bit - crestfallen behind her before speaking, "Scotland of course."

"I actually like Japan," Robert stated.

"Canada!" Amelia, surprisingly, shouted.

"France~" Oliver replied.

Enrique grinned, "Interesting answers,"

"Rob, it's your turn now!"

He sighed, "Amelia, I've asked you once already to refrain from calling me that." the German merely got an eye roll as a response, to which he muttered the word "uncouth" before trying to think of an appropriate question. "Favorite author?"

Johnny snorted at that but surprisingly replied, "J.R.R Tolkien," He got many odd stares at this, "What? I read! Well… I liked _The Hobbit_ and _The Lord of the Rings_ anyway."

"Sherrilyn Kenyon, the author of the _Dark-Hunter_ series." Bree replied, smiling at the violet-haired German.

Enrique frowned, "Do comics count?"

"No."

"Dammit…"

"Looks like someone else is going to be singing _Born This Way_." Amelia giggled, which only caused the Italian to blush. "Piers Anthony, baby!"

"J.K Rowling," Oliver replied, "I simply am enchanted by the _Harry Potter_ series."

"Me too!" Bree grinned.

"Alright, finally up to bat is Johnny~"

"Somebody take the damn cookies away from her." Lavender orbs rolled before Johnny had that sadistic smirk cross his face, "How many people have you had sex with?"

"J-Jonathan!" Robert did a spit-take with his tea.

Even Amelia and Enrique were looking at the Scot with embarrassed expressions on their faces. Bree had squeaked and turned bright red, once again hiding her face. Oliver simply gave him a look like 'really? You just had to start asking personal questions. Dear God, I really want to smack you'.

"Dude, you _know_ that already about us!" Enrique pitched a pillow at the redhead, who simply dodged it with a dull look.

"Yeah, and I can tell you have a sissy aim."

Enrique nearly lunged, but the scent of roses caught his attention and strong arms locked around him, seeing that Amelia had immediately hugged him in an attempt to keep him from doing that - most likely because she knew he would end up punched. Enrique blinked and grinned, looking back at Johnny with an expression of victory as he eagerly hugged the heiress back. Johnny sent a dark glare at the Italian.

"Well, guess _everyone's_ gotta sing that song then."

"Fine! We'll answer, dammit!"

Johnny grinned, "Mia - you're first."

"I _hate_ that nickname."

"Don't care. Spill."

"Still a virgin, hothead." Amelia held up her hand, revealing the purity ring on it. "See? I don't _date_ anymore."

Poor Enrique felt like his hopes had just crashed and burned, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "I've been with three girls. That's it." He then tacked under his breath, "Biggest mistakes of my life…"

"Well, obviously, otherwise Julian wouldn't exist."

"Who's…Julian?" Bree and Amelia both blinked.

Enrique sent a glare at Johnny before he gave a heavy sigh, "My son."

"…you have a son?"

"I got a girl pregnant when I was twenty… I don't even remember it happening, to be honest. I must've gotten drunk… yeah, I have a son. Julian Feliciano Giancarlo. He'll be two in August."

"Where is he? With his mother?"

"No. She didn't want him. My mother didn't want him to go into adoption. He's with Mama in Paris right now." Enrique was shifting uncomfortably. "I know I screwed up, but I love Julian. He's the reason why I'm working as hard as I am, to make sure he's raised right."

There was an awkward silence around the room, before Amelia wrapped her arms around him tight.

"No child is a mistake in my eyes. I bet you're a wonderful father. If you need any help, you can always ask me."

"_Grazie, _Amelia. _Sei veramente un angelo._"

She smiled and pressed a friendly kiss to his cheek, one that sent Johnny twitching madly in his spot on the couch.

"Robert, we already know you're a virgin." the Scot then pinned a look on Oliver. "You however, I question."

"One," was all Oliver would reply, stubbornly looking away.

"He's finally become a man!" the Scot laughed.

Amelia looked at Bree, who finally squeaked out a "none" before hiding her face again. She shot a glare at Johnny for making the shy brunette uncomfortable.

"Alright, it's my turn." the soccer player tapped her fingers to her cheek; still sitting in Enrique's lap simply she had deemed him comfortable. "Hmm… has anyone found romance?"

Johnny crossed his arms, "Nope. Still single."

"As am I," Robert replied - it was obvious he was growing bored.

"Me too," Enrique pressed his forehead into her shoulder.

"We all are," Bree stated, giving Oliver a wink.

The game continued, with Bree asking them questions about where they went to school, their favorite book genres, and favorite deserts and cuisines as well. Amelia stuck to simpler questions such as favorite animals, colors, favorite vacations, and music. Oliver asked questions about favorite physical features in others, what they liked in personality, favorite past times, and foods. (He asked the first few mainly to see how Johnny would react). Enrique had asked more about family history, taste in fashion (this directed more so toward the girls), where they would like to go in the world, and what they liked about Rome so far. Robert asked about their taste in literature, favorite historical sites, future plans when it came to family, and taste in culture - he honestly didn't care much about what the boys had to say, his curiosity mainly on Bree. Johnny stuck to personal and intimate questions, mainly to put his teammates in an awkward position - though he was a little taken aback to find out that Bree had never had any romantic experience whatsoever - and he continued to poke fun at Robert's non-existent love life.

That is until he discovered the German was betrothed. It was an arranged marriage, but Robert got along with the Hungarian heiress Eliade quite well. Amelia and Bree gave congratulations before they settled in to watch _Insidious._

For the movie, they had all moved around a bit. Robert had no interest in the movie and found it rather dull in concept and graphics, so he hopped over into an armchair with a reading light, earplugs (for Johnny's snoring), and was lost in his own little world in the dark room. Johnny sat on the end of the couch and was in mid-yawn when he was startled by one of the moments when a ghost came out of nowhere. Bree gave a shriek and scrambled onto the couch.

How she ended up in _his_ lap, no one knew. They blinked, staring at one another for a good thirty seconds, before Bree was startled again. This time she sprung into the safety of Oliver's arms at the other end of the couch, where he was once again texting. The Frenchie rubbed her back, smiling at her and reassuring her that it was just a movie.

Amelia and Enrique were on the middle mattress, with the blond resting against the couch while Amelia cuddled up to him. She was a cuddler - Johnny knew this - but it bugged him that the Italian was milking it for all it was worth. She was laughing at their reactions, not even scared.

That is until the clown music and the demon in the workshop scene happened.

She shrieked bloody murder and took off running out of the room. Both Johnny and Enrique sprung to their feet to go hunt her down before she ended up lost, but with one glare, the Italian had planted his ass back on the mattress before Johnny was gone. Robert pulled out an earplug, blinking in mild confusion.

"What happened? Where is Amelia?"

"She g-got s-scared…" Bree answered him, now using Oliver as a human shield.

"There, there, _mon cher. _No one is going to hurt you." Amethyst eyes pinned on the blond at his feet, "Someone is going to hurt you, _mon ami_."

Enrique sweatdropped, "What? What for?"

"You _know_ Amelia is off-limits."

He groaned and whined, "How come?"

"Bro Code," was all Robert would say. "It's an awkward situation and we're not allowed to discuss it. Johnny enforces Bro Code, we have to respect it. It's the same as when it came to Miss Hilary. We do not break Bro Code."

Enrique pouted, "But I actually feel a connection with her! She's not like the others… she… she's nice to me…sincerely…"

"Amelia is friendly to everyone, Enrique. Do not get your hopes up. You heard her - she hasn't any interest in anything beyond friendship."

"I know…"

"Just… be careful."

"No promises."

Rolling his eyes, Oliver heard distant voices, turning to see Johnny coming back with Amelia clutching his arm and looking _severally_ freaked out. Of course, the blond did not heed his friends, simply holding out his arms and raising an eyebrow. Amelia glanced at the brooding redhead, then at the blond, and sprung into his arms. He pulled the blankets over them in a gesture as if to shield her. She whimpered a bit into his chest.

Bree, though terrified of the movie, was highly confused by Johnny's actions toward Amelia. She understood the laws of Bro Code, but she didn't understand _why_ Johnny was enforcing them. She knew there was something lying underneath the surface.

Finding out would be quite the challenge.

_Challenge accepted._

-x-

_A/N: Much thanks to Yoko Fujioka for her review~! Tons of thanks to DaQiao17 for giving me ideas for this chapter. So what's Johnny's deal when it comes to Amelia? Is there more than meets the eye, and will our young heroine be able to figure it out? Review to find out! :D_

_~Mistress of the Arts_

_Next Chapter: Secret Summers Passed_

_Chapter Translations: Cherie - dear (French), Grazie - thank you (Italian), Siete i benvenuti - you are welcome (Italian), nonna - grandmother (Italian), bella - beautiful (Italian), mon cher - my dear (French), mon ami - my friend (French), Sei veramente un angelo - you really are an angel (Italian)_


	3. Chapter 3: Secret Summers Passed

_Disclaimer: Beyblade and characters other than my own belong to Aoki Takao. Characters based off DaQiao17 and me. Contains suggestive themes and mild swearing. Please review._

_~Mistress of the Arts_

_-x-_

_Chapter 3_

_Secret Summers Passed_

It was shortly after ten o'clock when the sunlight streaming through the window stirred young Bree the next morning. Yawning a bit, she lazily stretched in the mattress she was lying on, brushing her fingers through her hair in an attempt to smooth it down. She peered around after rubbing the sleep from her eyes, taking in the very interesting sight of her friends.

Robert had moved in the middle of the night to the couch, his back turned to them all and was fast asleep with his book on his face. Johnny was snoring lightly - in all honesty it wasn't very loud, so she didn't see why Amelia made such a fuss out of it - as he laid on the mattress beside her, arms spread out and the blankets twisted around him, his bandaged knuckles occasionally brushing against the pillow while his other hand rubbed his stomach.

She gave a small giggle, turning to see that Oliver had disappeared. He had ended up switching spots with Amelia in the middle of the night, the girl somehow ending up cuddled against Enrique, who had his arm draped loosely across the small of her back. Her bronze hair had escaped it's ponytail, fanning down her shoulders while Enrique slept on his side, her head tucked under his chin. It really was an adorable sight. Deciding to snap photos as her own personal mementos, the brunette managed to unearth herself from the blankets, stepping over the fair-haired ones before wandering toward the foyer.

A heavenly aroma hit her, with Bree trying to find the source. She stumbled upon the kitchens, surprised to find Oliver up and dressed for the day. He must've gotten up much earlier than them, looking freshly showered. He had his navy beret on his head, wearing a white button down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, along with a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and a pair of black, yellow, and blue expensive sneakers. He perked up upon noticing the curious girl in the doorway from where he was making pancakes.

"That smells good, Oliver." Bree gave another yawn, covering her mouth. "What time did you get up?"

"Oh, around eight. I'm naturally an early-riser. Are the others still asleep?"

Bree nodded, walking over to the island of the kitchen where Oliver was putting about four pancakes each on six different colored plates. Once the flapjacks were done, he then topped them off with butter, maple syrup, and even fresh strawberries. Bree went to reach over and take a couple of plates, to help carry them to the dining room, but Oliver gave her wrist a playful slap.

"No, _cherie_. You are a guest."

"So are you," Bree argued, rubbing her wrist.

"Please, this is my second home and Felicia my second mother. I always cook and take care of my friends. What you can do, _amour_, is go get ready for the day. I'll rouse the others to do the same. Then we shall sit down for a nice breakfast."

"Alright," the Southern girl sighed, before sending the greenette a playful glare. "You're lucky you're cute."

He grinned, dimples in place. "Shoo~"

Bree hurried out of the kitchen and found her way back to the staircase, climbing it and heading toward the East Wing. She counted the doors, remembering that she was the fourth down on the right, and stepped into the guest room she was temporarily occupying. From there, Bree walked over to the dresser and rummaged through her clothes.

She knew that she was to go sightseeing today with Robert and Amelia, so she pulled out a pair of deep violet colored denims that had black down the sides, along with a deep violet and lavender striped sleeveless top that had a round-neck, a small black ribbon that went under the bodice with a small bow, and flowed to her just past her hips with small pleats in it. It was one of her favorite shirts, bought for her by Lucetta. She pulled out her suitcase from underneath the bed, where she was storing her shoes, and found a pair of black sandals that had a small heel on them. Taking her outfit in her arms, Bree headed for the bathroom.

Stripping, she stepped into the large tub that took up an entire corner by itself, drawing the drape and taking a moment to work the intricate shower. She was happy with the water pressure, it working out the knots in her muscles from her flight the day before. Grabbing the bottle of shampoo, she squirted some into her hand, lathering it throughout her short locks.

Ten minutes later she stepped out, seeing that Oliver must've found her a hair-dryer and set it up for her. She used it and brushed out her hair, smiling as it shined and flowed down to her shoulders in a slight wave. After dressing, she chose out her jewelry, slipping on a few black bangles around her right wrist and choosing a black choker necklace that had a Celtic cross on it, which seemed to tie the outfit in all together.

She checked the time - it had only been about twenty minutes. Bree grabbed her phone from the charger and slipped it into her pocket, not feeling the desire to carry her purse today, before she left her room to head downstairs for breakfast.

Bree had just shut the door when she heard the sound of something clattering, blinking and turning to see Johnny had ducked down to retrieve his phone. He had just stepped out of his own room, having chosen to go with a pair of black denims today, wearing a red graphic t-shirt that had a Celtic cross design on the front, wearing a black and red checkered wristband on his right wrist. She hadn't noticed it before, but the Scot had his left ear pierced with a silver stud.

It was actually rather sexy on him.

Not that'd she say it aloud, of course.

"Good morning," Bree said, her voice soft.

"Mornin'," Johnny rubbed the back of his neck. "Purple's a good color on you…"

It was his way of complimenting her outfit. Smiling, Bree took the hem of her shirt between her fingers, swaying a bit.

"You really think so? Thanks."

"Oliver made breakfast,"

"Are the others downstairs already?"

"Yeah, Robert's a little grouchy though. He likes getting his full eight hours. After some coffee, he'll go back to bein' painfully dull and bossy."

Bree giggled at the grin the redhead gave her, before he gestured down the hall. They started to walk together, with Johnny still rubbing the back of his head as they did. Lavender eyes kept glancing at the Spanish-bred girl beside him. To be honest, he never had a conversation with a girl like this.

Not with a girl like her.

It was…different. Nice, but different.

"So are you going to go sightseeing with us today?"

"Eh… maybe. Hopefully Mia's forgotten about that stupid penalty thing."

Bree hesitated, "Can I ask you something… in regards to Amelia?"

"Yeah, shoot."

"Why is it so bad for Enrique to like her?"

Johnny stopped short at the top of the staircase. Bree had stepped down a couple of steps, only to glance over her shoulder and back up at him. Her eyes widened a bit, taken aback by the look on his face. He looked like an awkward little schoolboy, rubbing the back of his neck and shifting his eyes to his red and black skate shoes, looking as if he had gotten in trouble. The Scot took a moment, before giving a deep sigh.

"Jus'… don't want her to get hurt again. Enrique's…got a lot of responsibilities, like Julian… I dunno… I guess to me, since she's like my baby sis and all… no one's good enough for her. I know I'll feel the same way about Rose when she's my age…"

Bree gave a tender smile, "It's okay to want to protect her from getting hurt. It's actually rather sweet, in a twisted sense." Johnny staggered a bit, her words a little sharp. "But Amelia is twenty-two. She's old enough to make her own choices, whether they turn out to be mistakes or not. You can't expect her to wait around for a perfect guy that doesn't exist. If I know Amelia like the way that I do… then I definitely know that she's the type of woman who wants to have a family and would _not_ be open-minded about an arranged marriage, unlike Robert."

"Guess so… but…"

"You have every right to feel scared for her. I'm pretty sure you've thrown a few punches for her honor. But that's the past and we need to move forward. Otherwise… what's the point of life if you're not going to take a few chances and live it? Getting hurt, that's how we learn. I've been hurt. I know I'm naïve in a lot of ways. All I know is that if I had someone like you in my life, looking out for me… I'd want you to be supportive and there to pick up the pieces, not keeping me from living my life."

Johnny stared at her, watching as she suddenly blushed and gripped the banister.

"We should head on to breakfast."With that said, Bree quickly descended, leaving Johnny behind to let her wise words sink in.

Maybe, just maybe, she was right.

_That's crazy… it's gotta be absolutely crazy… but what she says makes sense… ugh… I'll talk to Mia later about it…_

Johnny quickly hurried down the stairs as well, heading into the dining room where the table was set for breakfast. Oliver was sipping a cup of warm tea while chatting with Robert, who was clad in a hunter green polo with a pair of khaki trousers, about his ideas for sightseeing, since he was in charge of the expedition. Bree had taken her seat between the greenette and Amelia, who had her hair braided over her right shoulder and tied off with a white hair-tie. She was wearing a spaghetti-strap white sundress that went to just above her knees, with her white strappy heeled sandals, wearing a pair of small silver hoop earrings and her diamond necklace, a matching diamond bracelet on her wrist as she sipped a cup of tea as well. The girls were in a deep conversation about possibly going shopping the next day.

Johnny pulled out his chair beside his best friend, avoiding looking directly at Bree as he poured himself a glass of orange juice and beginning to eat. Enrique was the last to arrive, wearing a short-sleeved white button down left open over a teal t-shirt with a pair of light blue denims and a pair of black and blue sneakers. Bree noticed that he also had his left ear pierced, but with a silver hoop. He took the seat across from Amelia, giving her a smile that she returned.

"Oh, Enrique, that's a nice ring." Bree noticed it on the Italian's right hand.

Cerulean orbs looked down at the platinum ring that had the Giancarlo family crest on it, encrusted with a real sapphire, before slowly removing it. He then held it out to the brunette, who took it. Amelia and Bree leaned in close to inspect it.

"We all have one," Johnny spoke up. "They're symbols of our clans. Family heirlooms."

Bree's eyes lit up at this, as Amelia slipped on the ring that was two sizes too big, giggling and then handing it back to the blond. Johnny pulled his out, only he wore it on a sturdy silver chain around his neck, the ring gold and encrusted with a ruby with the McGregor coat of arms stamped on it. Robert wore a black ring encrusted with an emerald on his middle finger of his left hand, and Oliver had a silver ring encrusted with an amethyst with the Polanski family crest on it worn on his right hand.

"Did your parents know each other?"

"Our family ties date much farther than our parents," Johnny answered the Southern girl's inquiry. "For generations our families have known each other, however the McGregor clan has more prominent ties with the Jurgens than the Giancarlos or the Polanskis."

"Yes, the Polanskis and Giancarlos are more prominently tied as well. Enri and I have been the best of friends since we were in diapers."

"Jonathan and I have also known one another since we were small," Robert stated. "There are distant relations between the families as well. We are all cousins to one another by marriage in some way, shape, or form. All of our parents attended the same prestigious school when they were younger as well."

"Wow… you guys have some rich history." Amelia stated, having been completely unaware of this.

"We're just lucky none of us were born female, otherwise we may've had to marry one another." Enrique joked.

Johnny gagged at the thought, Robert scoffing and Oliver simply rubbed his temple. Bree tipped her head to the side, trying to picture them as females, only to start giggling uncontrollably. Amelia grinned at the laughter coming from the brunette, before sipping her tea.

"So what's the game plan for today?"

"Sightseeing," Robert answered the heiress' question. "I have it all planned out. First, we shall be going to the famous _Colosseum_."

Bree's eyes widened, "Really? I can't wait to take pictures to show my family back home!"

"I have a great camera if you would like to borrow it, _cherie_." Oliver offered, "Unfortunately, I won't be tagging along today."

"Aw, why not?" Amelia pouted a bit.

Oliver gave her a smile, "I'm afraid I have a prior engagement in town that I cannot cancel on. I promise to make it up to you lovely ladies this evening however," His eyes landed on his expensive Rolex and he stood up. "Speaking of, I must take my leave. Robert, Johnny, Enrique, I'm leaving the ladies in your hands." He sent the last two a look that stated if they upset them in any way then they would be dealing with _him_ before he turned to give the girls each a kiss on the cheek. Amelia giggled and blushed a bit, while Bree sat there a bit stunned by it. "Have a good day, _mon amours._"

"You too, Oli~" Amelia sang, watching as the beret-clad male took his leave. "Isn't he just the sweetest?"

"Calm yourself, woman." Johnny rolled his eyes, "Pretty sure he doesn't go for your type."

Bree laughed a little nervously, "No, he most definitely does not." She nudged the athlete, "Besides, your type is someone who is sweet and is more subtle with his affections. Perhaps it's the other way around."

"What is?" Amelia grinned at her.

"It's _your_ beauty that intimidates men, not mine."

"Pfft, as if. You are the most beautiful of the two of us. Isn't that right Johnny?"

Johnny gave her a glare, "Seriously? Why the hell would you put me in that kind of position? I _don't_ do comparisons. Ever."

"I'm going to get more coffee before this escalates…" the German muttered, strolling into the kitchens.

Enrique glanced at the redhead, "You know, I'm a little curious. Are you attracted to Amelia?"

The redhead sputtered for a few moments, before giving a frustrated growl. He placed his head in his hands, pulling at his wild locks.

"Ugh! Yeah, in a 'if-I-didn't-know-her-at-all-she'd-be-hot' way!"

"So… because you know me, I'm _not_ attractive? Wow. Thanks a lot, Johnny. That's mean."

Even Bree had to agree, "That was a little rude…"

"Ugh! She's like my sister! I mean, yeah, we -" Johnny cut himself off, looking very awkward.

Enrique dared press the subject, poking the Scot with the end of his fork. "You…what?" he prompted. "Because I'm still seriously in the dark about this whole Bro Code enforcement you've been doing."

"Bro Code?" Amelia narrowed her eyes on her childhood friend. "Johnny… what the hell have you been saying to your friends about me?"

"I'm just tryna protect ya, Mia!"

"Don't call me 'Mia'." she snapped, before standing up and placing her palms against the table as she leaned across it. "I want to know what Enrique's talking about."

"It's…it's…it's cause me and you dated before, okay?!"

Time screeched to a halt.

Blue and green eyes widened to the size of saucers, before both felt twinges of anger, jealousy, and flat out felt appalled by the information.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Enrique held out his hands, "Hold it! Backtrack! Rewind! You two _dated_?"

"For all of ten minutes!" Amelia rolled her eyes, "Plus we were both stupid. We had snuck a bottle of wine while I was staying with them for the summer. One night, Johnny and I decided to be stupid kids and were a little tipsy. We were both lonely as hell, since I had just dumped my cheating boyfriend a few weeks prior and Johnny's girlfriend kicked him to the curb. It was one of those 'what the hell?' kind of things. Then, we kissed. I honestly felt like puking afterwards."

"…I ain't that bad of a kisser, dammit!"

"I kissed the guy who's been like my brother since I was like five! Of course I was gonna start scrubbing my tongue and grossing out!" Amelia shuddered as she recalled the horrifying memory.

Johnny simply sweatdropped, "Bitch."

Bree pointed at Amelia, "You told me you two had never dated."

"Like I said, it didn't count. It was like ten minutes. We were under the influence." Amelia sighed and turned to the brunette, who looked peeved. "Technically I didn't lie…but it's not something Johnny and I wanted to bring up again. Pretend it never happened. Looks like _someone_ didn't hold up on his end of the deal and was enforcing that stupid Bro Code thing on his friends. Which is stupid, like I just said. I don't _date_. Even if I did, the only one I would even consider going out with would be Enrique!"

"Really?" the blond perked up at these words.

She gave a slight nod before pinning Johnny with a harsh glare, "Let it go, Jonathan. I'm dead serious. It didn't count, it doesn't matter. Yeesh, is this the reason you've been acting creepily overprotective of me since we arrived yesterday? Ugh, sometimes I just want to strangle you!"

Johnny crossed his arms, "I was only trying to look out for you… technically, we dated… exes are off-limits to best friends… that's how Bro Code works.""Screw the freakin' code! I'm a grown woman! I can date whoever the hell I want! I don't need your freakin' permission!"

He glowered at her, his eyes darkening dangerously.

"Yeah, well, you're taste in guys sucks ass! No wonder you kept getting losers who cheated on you because you refused to put out! You just know how to pick 'em, don't you? God, you can be so freakin' stupid when it comes to boys! I'm glad you're basically turning yourself into a freakin' nun! Go on, be miserable! Oh, wait! You're probably going to find some loser who has a kid of his own and -"

_SLAP!_

Deafening silence filled the room.

Very slowly, Johnny turned his face, staring aghast as the brunette who was breathing heavily with her hand raised. Bree had tears of anger in her eyes, looking down at him with disappointment etched on her face. The sound of the chair scooting back was heard, and then Enrique rushed out of the room.

_Shit._

He had forgotten all about the fact that one of his best friends had a kid himself. A kid that was his godson. A kid that he actually loved as much as his own brothers and sister. And said kid's father was like a brother to him.

_I really screwed up this time._

"Apologize. Now."Johnny flinched, the tone Bree gave making him feel as if she had slapped him again. However, the prideful Scot couldn't find the words, simply looking at the bronze-haired girl with a pitiful look on his face. She scoffed and crossed her arms.

"Don't bother, Bree. If there's one thing Johnny McGregor doesn't do, it's apologize." she turned to the brunette, "I am sorry for keeping that from you. I didn't realize I hadn't been honest with you. I don't want that… because honestly, Bree, you're the closest thing to a best friend I've ever had. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go comfort Enrique."

"Apology accepted," Bree replied. "And I feel the same, Amelia."

Nodding, the heiress then turned and left the room.

"Bree… I…"

She simply held up her hand, cutting the redhead off.

"Just… think about what just happened. Because of _you_. You claim that these people are your friends… and yet you're treating them like crap. Where I come from, that isn't friendship. That's just treatin' them like your playthings. Well, I refuse to be some new toy. If you want to be my friend, you better damn well earn my friendship."

Oh, yes, Breana Summers was _definitely _ticked if she swore.

With that stated, the brunette turned and went into the kitchens. Robert simply gave a heavy sigh and placed an arm around her shoulders, drawing her close in a comforting hug. Bree hid her face in her hands, feeling her heart pounding rapidly in her chest.

"Just… give him some time." was all the German could say.

Bree managed a nod before looking up at him, managing a weak smile. "Can we go sightseeing now?"

"Of course, my friend. Here, Oliver left us the camera and I have a list of all the places I'd like to take you today." the German paused as they stepped through a door into a garage, which had many expensive cars. "Where are Amelia and Enrique…?"

"Johnny's rude remarks upset them both… looks like it's just us. Do you mind?"

"No, of course not, Breana. Come, I know my way around as well as Enrique. I assure you, we'll enjoy our day together."

"_Gracias_, Robert. I appreciate it."

He smiled and opened the door of a black Mazda C-X 9 sports car, allowing Bree to climb inside before the two of them set off.

-;-

She wanted to take a page out of the other American's book and inflict quite possibly more pain by the time Amelia reached the end of the West Wing. She was hurt and angry, but she was far more angrier with Johnny about what he had said about one of his own best friends.

She didn't care that Enrique was a single father - in her eyes, God meant for the Italian to have a son, and there wasn't anything wrong with that. It was really eating at her that Johnny had slung those words at her to hurt her though.

Yes, she had screwed up in past, but she wasn't a naïve little girl anymore. It had been two years since she had stopped messing around with trying to find love. Two years of the heartache and drama going away. She had made her mistakes and she had learned from them.

Leave it to the hothead to shove it back in her face, reminding her of her flaws and bringing up the past that he had trouble letting go of. Just because he was hurt himself didn't mean he had to hurt the people that had been there to pick him back up.

Damn, she needed to seriously praise Bree for slapping that bastard for his tactless words.

Amelia tried to take a calming breath, but it was hard. Her chest was tight, her heart hammering in anger. She attempted to push it from her mind though - she would deal with Johnny later. Her concern for Enrique was much more important than her anger.

Finding the inner calm she had been searching for, Amelia opened her eyes before rapping her knuckles against the door to Enrique's bedroom. She didn't hear a word, but she knew he was in there. She had seen him go inside just as she reached the end of the corridor.

"Enri? It's Amelia… can I please come inside?"

No response.

Sighing, the heiress chewed on her lower lip, closing her eyes and trying to think of the Italian that she knew. She inwardly thanked her _nonna_, Abriella, for teaching her as much of the language as she had. Golden eyes opened once again, knocking.

"_Per favore posso entrare?_"

There was a yes, also in Italian. Smiling a bit, Amelia turned the door handle and slowly pushed open the door, taking in the dimly lit room from the sunlight trying to creep its way through the gap of the curtains blocking the window. Enrique's room was a light blue, with a deep blue carpet that reminded her of the ocean. There was a large king-sized bed with blue covers, which had a playpen beside it and a chest of children's toys in the corner. Across the bed was a lower dresser with a mirror above it, photograph's taped to the glass of Enrique with his mother, grandparents, and several of a handsome little toddler with the same golden hair as his father, but with bright eyes the color of aquamarines. There was a picture tucked into the corner of the Majestics' first World Championship win, with the medal hanging beside it. Amphilyon was resting on the top of the dresser, along with the sword, shield, and armor that was obviously a family heirloom. Enrique had a flat screen television hanging above a table that held his video games and movies.

"Enrique…?"She turned and saw him stepping out of the bathroom, his face damp. His eyes were still rimmed with red though, a sign that he had been crying. He tried to put on a smile though, to hide the fact he was upset.

It was all her fault too.

Amelia was taken aback by the lump that had built up in her throat, blinking rapidly to fight back the sting of tears. Her sympathetic and caring nature had always been her greatest aspect and biggest flaw. A double edged sword that always seemed to do more harm than good.

That's why she kept everyone at a distance.

Nonetheless, she found she couldn't with the Majestics and Bree. For the first time, she finally felt like she had friends that understood her. The only person who ever understood her was Wyvie, and he was a backwards scholar who trusted no one but her. He had been the only person to never use her heart and the vast amount of love she had in it against her.

Even her childhood friend had.

_I hate you, Johnny. I hate you so much right now._

The hatred would pass - it always did.

"I'm alright, Amelia."

"Please… please don't lie to me like that…" she whispered, slowly crossing the room. "I wish that he hadn't of done any of this… I'm so sorry that you're suffering because of me. I -"

She was cut off by the Italian quickly closing the distance, pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly against him. Amelia blinked, finding that she couldn't hold back the tears any longer. A few slid down her cheeks rapidly, before she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Enrique simply held her as close as he could.

"I didn't care what he said… I wanted to get to know you… I wanted to make you smile… I know that he may be right… I know that I may not be worthy of you or your kindness… but I'm not giving up without a fight." His whispered words rang with sincerity and determination, his warm breath tickling her ear. "I know that… I feel a connection with you, Amelia, one that I have _never_ felt with anyone else. So please… give me a chance. Let me prove to you that I'm not some loser that wants to toy with you."

"Enrique… I-I can't promise you anything."

"I'm not asking you to. All I want is for you to give me a chance to get to know you… to spend time with you. Please."

She smiled and withdrew, brushing her knuckles against his cheek as she stared into his cerulean eyes, holding the sweetest sadness she had ever seen.

"We're friends, Enrique. Never forget that."

His lips turned into a small smile, before he gently cupped her face, leaning down the few inches that separated them and pressed them to her forehead in a chaste kiss.

"You're sweet, Amelia, and just like an angel."

She laughed, "I'm not an angel, but I do try and show kindness to everyone. Because bringing smiles and laughter to someone else makes me happy."

He brushed his fingers through her bangs, tucking them behind her ear and watching them fall back to her chin, framing her features.

She really was lovely. It was hard not to give into temptation and kiss those full lips that were as pink as the roses outside. He settled for kissing her forehead again, before simply holding her close to him.

He liked the closeness, the rush he felt from her tender touch.

He liked the kindness and warmth she brought with her.

"Can we…just stay like this for a little while?" he dared to whisper.

Amelia smiled.

"For as long as you wish, Enri."

-;-

Sightseeing with Robert was incredibly fun. Bree had managed to get dozens of pictures at the landmarks he took her to, explaining each one's history in depth. They had visited the _Colosseum_, the _Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, _the _Castel Sant'Angelo_, the dome of _St. Peter's Basilica, _the _Piazza della Repubblica, _the _Sistine Chapel_ and they were on their way to the _Trevi Fountain._

The two bookworms arrived at the Baroque fountain, with Bree giving a small gasp as she took in the beauty of the architecture. It was ten times prettier in person than it was in text books. Robert smiled as they approached it, with Bree taking a picture. He offered to take a picture of her in front of it, but she insisted they take the picture of the two of them together. She wanted to brag to her friends back home that she was friends with the famous Captain of the Majestics team.

The two of them were in a deep discussion about the fountain's history when they heard a familiar voice cutting through the crowd.

"Bree! Robert!"

She gave a heavy sigh, "What in the world does _he_ want?"It was apparent she still wasn't to happy with the Scot, especially as Johnny appeared out of breath. He saw the dull stare she was giving him, freakishly mirrored by Robert, and he felt that strange twinge of pain in his chest. He honestly didn't understand the strange emotions twisting inside of him.

"Look… 'bout what I said… I-I… I'm sorry!"

"I'm not the one you need to be apologizing to," Bree replied, giving a heavy sigh. "But I'll give you points for effort. When we get back to the house, you need to give sincere apologies to both Amelia _and_ Enrique. My brother happens to have a child that he's raising on his own as well. I don't tolerate that kind of attack on anyone."

"I'm…still really sorry…" Johnny hung his head. "Please… I mean it. I am…"

Mint orbs blinked, "I believe you," her tone softened incredibly. "This was the last sight we were going to see today, especially since it's been a couple of hours."

"Three and a half, actually." Robert checked the time. "Ah, I almost forgot. Breana, I was wondering if you would like to go see an opera with me this weekend at the _Teatro dell'Opera di Roma_?"

"Of course I would! That sounds amazing!"

He smiled, "I'll reserve us two tickets then.""I wonder if Oliver would like to go…"

"Oh, I think Oliver's gonna be very busy."

Bree blinked as Johnny stated those words, following his gaze toward the northern side of the fountain. There wasn't mistaking those light green tresses underneath the navy beret. Oliver was hugging the arm of a very familiar face, orange locks vibrant and sticking out as well, along with his pristine white outfit that seemed much to warm to wear in the summer heat. Oliver was carrying a bouquet of irises, blushing lightly as the two chatted.

Any outsider could take one glance at them and realize they were head over heels in love with one another. Bree bit her lip, glancing back and forth between the German and the Scot, trying to read their reactions. She was surprised to see a wicked grin spread across Johnny's features as he folded his arms behind his head, Robert crossing his eyes and closing his eyes, faintly smiling himself.

"Well I'll be damned. He actually found somebody."

"You're… not freaked out?"

Johnny glanced down at the shorter girl, "Why would we? I always suspected he played for the other team. I'm just glad he's found somebody."

Robert opened his eyes, "I agree - and from the look of things, it seems that romance has blossomed between the two and is flourishing."

Bree broke into a smile, giving a small laugh of joy. "Yeah~ it really has. I'm happy for him. He'll be thrilled to know that you two are supporting him."

"Wait, you knew about this?"

"Guess he just felt that sort of kinship with me to confide in me."

"Well… he's happy." Johnny repeated. "C'mon… I owe a couple of my best friends a huge ass apology. Think I should get Mia flowers?"

Robert frowned, "Hmm…normally I would agree, but it's not romantic between the two of you so no."

"Leave the flowers to the Italian."

The two older Majestics blinked, "Whatcha mean by that?" Johnny asked, following the brunette.

"I mean just what I said. If anyone should be giving Amelia flowers, it should be Enrique. Besides, I'm usually quite right about these things… It's obvious Enrique is starting to really like her. Amelia will come around soon enough - it's about high time she found somebody worthy of her."

"You sound as if you've known the girl all of your life."

Bree glanced over her shoulder, hands behind her back as she smiled. "Y'know, it's kinda weird, but I feel as if I have. She's the best friend I always hoped for. Now that I have her, I'm not letting her go. I'm not letting you guys go either~" the brunette surprised them both by interlocking her arms through theirs, "Let's go see more of Rome!"

Both couldn't help themselves.

It was damn near impossible to not smile around Bree.

She just had that magic; a magic found once every one hundred years.

Johnny couldn't help but wonder why he felt the draw he did toward her. So all he could do was smile and go along with it. For he had never met a girl like her.

Truth be told, he didn't want to meet another.

-;-

_A/N: Got a little intense there, didn't it? -w-' Poor Enri. Johnny, you can be such a dick. *bonks the Scot on the head* Alright, so obviously the girls have become rather close to the Majestics, but it's only the beginning of their summer! What else can be in store for them? Find out next chapter! Review please!_

_~Mistress of the Arts_

_Next Chapter: Make It Rock_

_Chapter Translations: Cherie - dear (French), Amour - love (French), mon amours - my loves (French), Gracias - thank you (Spanish), Per favore posso entrare - please may I come inside (Italian)_


	4. Chapter 4: Make It Rock

_Disclaimer: Beyblade and characters other than my own belong to Aoki Takao. Characters based off DaQiao17 and me. Contains suggestive themes and mild swearing. Please review._

_~Mistress of the Arts_

_-x-_

_Chapter 4_

_Make It Rock_

"Oh my freakin' God, I'm gonna die of heat-stroke…"

"Quit whining, Johnny. It's summer, what do you expect?"

"To not boil to death!"

Johnny grumbled a bit more and proceeded to try and fan himself, turning his attention back onto the movie that Enrique, Amelia, Oliver, Robert, and himself were attempting to enjoy.

They were all lounging around in the screening room - a room that had been built to resemble a mini-movie theater with cushioned red chairs, a large screen on the wall, and a high-tech movie player. They had spent the morning watching a few movies, since the past few days Bree had been taken around to see the sites, along with a shopping trip with Amelia.

While the boys (and the heiress) were watching _Gladiator_, Bree had taken over the kitchens. She hadn't confided in the others that she baked whenever she was stressed. So she had decided to bake them each their favorite dessert as a sign of her appreciation for letting her stay with them and being so welcoming.

For Oliver, she has chosen her _Abuela's _recipe for blackberry cheesecake. She had asked Augustus, the driver, to take her to a market to get the needed ingredients that morning. Due to Oliver staying frequently at the Tornatore household, she had a majority of the ingredients needed for most of the desserts. She had made cherry tarts for Johnny, since she had found out that cherry was the Scot's favorite flavor. She only hoped that the recipe Lucetta had taught her turned out good.

She wanted them each to like her baking. It was one of the few skills she was confident about, but still felt a little insecure over. It was heartbreaking when one's two-year-old nephew would spit up homemade cookies that had been baked from scratch - though there _had_ been a mix up with baking soda and baking powder due to her brother helping her.

Enrique was the resident chocolate lover - with Oliver having to maintain a strict watch on the Italian so he wouldn't get out of shape because of it. Valentine's Day was one of Enrique's favorite holidays simply because of the chocolate. She smiled as she pulled out the Swiss chocolate muffins that had pecans in them. She had made banana nut bread for her health-nut bestie.

Robert had been hard to decide on - he loved both apple strudel and caramel apple cake. She went with the latter in the end, and it would be finishing up shortly.

Bree had even taken the time to arrange the treats on different colored plates, allowing them to cool. The buzzer for the cake went off, with her quickly pulling it out. Once the cake was neatly on Robert's green plate, the American took a moment to examine her work.

"There we go. This is perfect for tonight."

She placed the treats to be properly stored - not to mention hidden - before she removed her apron and washed her hands. She washed all the dishes, refusing to let the maids do so since it was in her nature. Once they were clean, she then left the kitchens, finding the doorway to the basement level that had a training room, the screening room, a work-out gym for Enrique's mother, and a rec-room that had a large television, game stations, pool table, and even a few arcade games. There was also a sauna.

Bree headed down the stairs carefully, so not to trip and fall, before reaching the door to the screening room just as the credits were rolling. There were yawns, stretching, and complaints about it being stuffy and hot. Oliver was the one to notice the brunette in the doorway.

"Ah, _cherie_! There you are. We were wondering where you disappeared off to."

"Oh, I just had to take care of a few things. How was the movie?"

"It was good," Enrique yawned again.

Johnny moaned, hanging over the back of Robert's chair and muttering something in Gaelic about the heat. He then abruptly sprung to his feet, which startled Amelia and made her drop her phone. She grabbed it and whirled on him as he started to dance around in sudden excitement.

"The hell, Johnny?! Did you get a concussion when nobody was looking?!"

"Reaction shot!" Enrique piped up.

She laughed a bit, "Not what I was going for, Enri."

"Johnny, why _are_ you dancing around?"

"Because we're idiots!"

"…eh?"

"Dude, we have a giant ass Olympic-sized pool in the backyard. We can go swimming!"

"There's a pool?!" the girls exclaimed, clearly excited by this news.

"Oh yeah. Even _I _forgot about that. I live here too."

Johnny smacked the blond upside the head, "Idiot."

Amelia grinned, "So… pool party?"

"Pool party."

They all took off out of the room at once, even Robert, looking thrilled with the idea of a nice refreshing swim. They ran upstairs, with two out of the six taking off for the West Wing, to go and change. Robert and Oliver were the first to change, going on ahead to get the stereo set up and make sure the pool was clean.

It had been close to ten minutes. Johnny didn't understand why it took women so long to change into two pieces of cloth. So, he waited, attempting to be patient with his arms crossed over his broad chest, eyeing her door.

Five minutes later and he was _still_ waiting.

"Dammit, I don't have time for this!" Johnny pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on, walking straight to the door and then wrenching it open. "Look, Bree, it really shou…"

He trailed off, as if time had stopped. The Spanish-bred girl was standing in front of the mirror, wearing a pair of light green bikini bottoms that had ruffles, but she was struggling with the top part. Lavender eyes widened at the sight of her breasts, which were hastily covered by her crossed arms as she released the loudest hissy he had ever heard.

Ear drums on the verge of bleeding, the Scot whirled and took off as various bottles of lotions, shampoos, and a hair brush was chucked at him with her shrieking and cursing him in fluent Spanish. Unfortunately and fortunately for Johnny, he didn't understand a single word of it. He heard the door slam violently, nearly coming off its hinges. Unable to get the memory of her half-naked out of his head, Johnny simply stumbled down the stairs and scurried his way toward the backyard just as Enrique and Amelia arrived at the top of the staircase.

"What was that all about?" Amelia blinked, tying her hair into a high ponytail. The two paused, hearing the distant sounds of incoherent Spanish and they noticed the items lying on the floor. She turned to the Italian, "I'm going to go console our frightened little lamb. How about you go make sure that King of the Dorks hasn't bled to death from his perverted fantasies?"

Enrique gave her a playful salute with his middle and index fingers before sliding down the banister, hurrying after his teammate. Once the blond was on his way, Amelia turned to walk down the hallway, stopping down to pick up the bottles and hair brush. She knocked on the door, a light note in her voice as she thought about the text she had gotten maybe fifteen minutes before.

"Oh, Breana~ I've come to help you with your top~"

"OH THANK GOD!"

The door wrenched open and the heiress was yanked inside the room. Amelia couldn't help but giggle at how red the brunette's face was, covering her nudity with her hands and grumbling about "no manners" and "gonna skin his hide if he tries that again!" while fidgeting awkwardly. Amelia replaced the items back to their origin before turning to assist the embarrassed girl.

"So… what happened?"

"I was tryin' to get my top on! It's harder with one person, especially if you don't want it to come untied! So I was tryin' to safety pin it…why did I get this swimsuit? I knew I was cursed with big boobs but this isn't fair! Why did it have to be cute on me? Why, Lucy, why?"

Amelia giggled at the brunette's rant about being conned to buy the cute suit by her elder sister. Bree was at least a 38-DD in cup-size, so she did have trouble with her breasts. Amelia was lucky to have a 34-C cup, which was much more manageable. She tied the light green strings of the ruffled bikini, safety pinning it just in case, before making sure that it was on tight enough to prevent anymore awkward incidents yet loose enough for comfort.

"How's that?" Amelia asked.

"Better. I owe you one."

"Nah, don't worry about it~ I'll just torture Johnny in the pool for walking in on you changing." Gold eyes flickered deviously, "Besties have to defend each others womanhood, after all~"

Bree smiled and gave her a brief hug, before she went to pull her hair into two little pigtails. Amelia was double-checking her own bikini - it white with cherry blossom print - before she glanced at the Spanish-bred girl from the corner of her eyes.

Yes, Bree Summers was definitely the kind of woman that Johnny went for. He didn't like anyone under a size 7. He claimed that he didn't want a twig - and considering he was six-foot-two and was broad, he needed someone he wouldn't well… crush painfully… in the heat of the moment. He liked curves on a woman.

Bree had those curves. She had an hourglass shape. Her stomach was flat, but she had nice hips and the light green bikini complimented her eyes and light tan complexion. The freckles on her cheeks simply added a dab of adorable to her already pretty features. It was obvious she took after her Spanish mother, with subtle traits of her American father.

The brunette turned, noticing Amelia staring at her. She waved a hand in front of the bronze-haired girl's face a moment later, slightly worried the heat had finally gotten to her. Amelia jerked out of her observation and then gave a smile.

"Are we ready?"

"Just need to grab my sun-block and a towel."

"Here, let's put our sun-block on now. There are towels in the pool house."

Nodding, the two began to apply the lotion so not to end up with nasty sunburns, and then finally began to head downstairs. Amelia led Bree toward the back of the house of the western side, opening the doors to the terrace. The terrace had several vases with rose plants along the sides and it overlooked an Olympic pool that had a diving board. There was a pool house on the right side and there was a fence that lined with the trees, to prevent trespassers. Bree even noticed a security camera pointed toward the fence and the pool. There were several lounge chairs and beach umbrellas on the terrace itself, with small tables. One of them held the book Robert had currently been reading along with a pair of sunglasses, a towel draped across it.

Resting on the terrace ledge was a large stereo, which was playing upbeat rock music - it was the only genre of music that they could all agree on, apparently - and the sound of splashing could be heard. Amelia walked toward the edge of the terrace, which had a gate and a set of nice stairs that led down to the pool below. She heard a cat-call, giggling uncontrollably as Enrique waved at them both from the pool's edge. Oliver was swimming around with Robert, the two of them steering clear from Johnny's cannonballs off the diving board.

"_Sei bellissima! Magnifico!_" Enrique shouted through his cupped hands.

Johnny had just resurfaced, blinking and looking up. Bree immediately had her 'you're lucky I'm a pacifist or I'd kill you' face on, turning away with red cheeks and crossing her arms over her bosom. Amelia had taken the brunette's arm and they were heading down the steps toward the pool, where Enrique was climbing out to greet them. He had water dripping down his lean yet muscular frame, with him raking his fingers through his damp hair, slicking it back. With a flirty grin in place, he pressed chaste kisses to the back of their hands - lingering a bit when it came to Amelia.

"Yo! Pretty Boy! Stop hoggin' the women to yourself!"

Enrique sweatdropped and sent a forced smile at the redhead, "I believe they wanted my attention right now, Johnny."

While the two boys argued, Bree got a devious idea in her head. Making sure neither was paying attention, Bree slowly made her way around the pool to where she faced Johnny's back. Amelia was the only one to notice and she only gave the other girl a look saying 'what are you doing?'. Bree put a finger to her lips, signaling the other to keep silent before taking a few steps back.

Bree grinned as she took off for the edge, jumped and curled into a ball screaming, "CANNONBALL!"

Johnny sputtered in shock, wiping the water from his eyes before slowly turning to see the brunette surfacing. She had a grin on her face - just a week ago she was barely making eye contact with them. Yet, there she was, getting payback deviously and actually opening up to realization made a grin spread across the Scot's own lips, before he wiggled his fingers playfully and began to approach her."Oh, it is so on now! Get back 'ere!" Johnny cackled, swimming after the brunette.

Bree blanched before scrambling through the water to get away, swimming like a true professional. Nope, no doggy paddling for this girl.

Her arms cut through the water as she tried to get away and to safety...behind Robert.

Robert realized he was being used as a human shield three seconds before Johnny lunged, creating a massive wave that hit the poor German square in the face and missed Bree completely due to her being much smaller and tucked behind Robert. Crimson orbs narrowed in a glare as Robert spit out a fountain of water, teeth grinding and stress mark prominent.

"Jonathan..."

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!"

Johnny tried to hightail it toward the other end of the pool as Robert lunged after him. Amelia was giggling uncontrollably, sitting on the edge near the middle of the pool, Oliver perched beside her and wringing out his shoulder-length locks as Enrique eyed the three at the other end in mild fear.

Bree laughed as she swam to the safety of the edge of the pool beside Amelia and Oliver. She hauled herself out and sat beside them as she entertained herself by watching as Robert tried to maim Johnny. "Well that was fun," Bree stretched her arms above her head, "More fun than doing it to Lani back home. He only ever glared at me."

"Lani?" Amelia tipped her head to the side, this new name confusing her.

"He's a high school friend. Real tall, pale, and geeky but he's a good guy." Bree crossed her legs, but she was ready to spring away in any second incase Johnny came for revenge again.

"Oh, I love this song!" Amelia suddenly perked up, noticing the song on the stereo. "Oliver, dance with me!"

The greenette chuckled but didn't turn her down, getting to his feet and the two started to dance as Enrique heaved himself beside Bree. He made sure the heiress was completely distracted."Hey, Bree, you're going to the opera with Robert tomorrow night, right?"

Bree smiled in excitement, "Yep! I can't wait; it'll be the first time I've ever gone to one." She frowned, a thought niggling at the back of her mind, "Though I don't really have anything opera appropriate. Actually I don't even know what I'm supposed to wear to one."

Enrique gave her a look, "_Bella_, you do realize my mother is a world-famous fashion designer? My fashion sense may be tragic, but when it comes to lovely ladies, I know what to do. We'll go through my mother's wardrobe and find you a dress. Besides, Amelia's told me that you blend in quite well in the world of blue-bloods. Robert and you will be fine." The blond hesitated, "There's another reason why I wanted to confirm your plans tomorrow."

"And that would be?" Bree cocked her head to the side in curiosity.

He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, opening his mouth to speak but he was cut off by the harsh German language piercing the air. Of course, he only knew a handful of German himself, but he definitely recognized the swear words. It took him aback, since Robert hardly swore. Johnny really had pissed him off, the two of them wrestling with Robert yanking the Scot into a headlock.

"YO! NO DEAD BODIES ON MY PROPERTY! YOU KILL HIM; YOU DO IT OFF TORNATORE GROUNDS, ROB!"

Enrique sighed and turned back to Bree, "Sorry about that. Um... see the thing is... I kind of want to take Amelia out on a date. I was thinking a picnic in the park... but my cooking skills are limited to PB&J. Help me? Please?"

"Sure!" Bree smiled as she started planning out the two's dinner for tomorrow. "My _Abuela_ taught me a lot of recipes and not just Spanish ones. Just leave it to me."

He hugged her in gratitude, "You are an angel, Bree!" Once he pulled back, he glanced over at where Oliver was twirling Amelia. "Is it obvious that I really like her?"

Bree smiled reassuringly, "Yes?"

"...do you think...she likes me too...?"

The way he fidgeted and kept glancing at her with his hopeful cerulean orbs made him seem so... Amelia had been right. The magazines had all been hype. Enrique Giancarlo wasn't a playboy - he was the one being played. From what she could tell, he was simply a guy hoping to find somebody to love. Someone that could love him for him, not his status or money, and could come to love Julian as well. She wanted to hug him.

She slung her arm across his shoulders and hugged him lightly, "If she doesn't like you then the Queen of England is Walt Disney in disguise."

"HEY! BLONDIE!" They turned to see Johnny looking a little roughed up but still breathing nonetheless. The German had gotten out of the pool and retreated to the classical literature waiting on the terrace. Johnny pointed at them."Thanks for leaving me to death by that sadistic bastard just so you could be hittin' on Bree."

Bree quirked an eyebrow, "I'm pretty sure he wasn't flirting with me." She slipped back into the pool; she was getting a little warm.

"But he...he had his damn arm around you and you were whispering all secretively! And what the hell, Oliver?! Why are you dancing with Mia? I thought you were gay with Brooklyn?!"

Oliver turned, eyes wide. "H-How did you find out about that anyway?!"

Lavender eyes rolled before he explained, "We saw you on a date with McCreepy the other day. Happy for ya. But pick a team and stick to it, Frenchie."

"Hey, Johnny?" Amelia's tone was surprisingly sweet.

"Yeah, Mia?"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Johnny then learned the meaning to the words "drop kick" before Amelia dived into the pool. Once the American had emerged, she swam back toward her friends.

The brunette suddenly got an idea, "Amelia!"

"What is it, bestie?"

It was obvious the heiress was gleeful about finally finding someone (other than the dunderhead she just drop kicked) to give that label to.

Bree smirked deviously, "Wanna chicken fight?"

"Ooooh! That sounds awesome!" Amelia grinned, "Enri, will you be my partner?"

The Italian grinned delightedly. "Sure!"

Once the blond had managed to get the heiress on his shoulders, gripping her calves tightly and grinning with a blush on his face, they turned to Bree.

Bree looked to the German reading, "Robert would you like to be my part-"

She cut herself off, screaming as the world shifted, suddenly being raised in the air. Flailing her arms, the Spanish-bred girl blinked a few times, before glancing down as she felt strong and slightly calloused hands gripping her legs tight. Wild red hair was a dead giveaway.

"J-Johnny!?"

"You nearly gave her a heart attack," Amelia stated, face-palming.

"Quit, Mia." the Scot replied shortly before grinning psychotically. "We shall vanquish thee!"

Enrique sweatdropped, "Oliver, get Johnny's ass out of the water and take his place."

Oliver simply gave him a dull stare as if to say 'hell no'.

Bree waved away the concern, "It's fine. Let's do this! You two are going down!"

Amelia grinned, gold eyes narrowing in a competitive manner before the two girls began to wrestle atop the boys' shoulders. It really was interesting to watch, especially from the sidelines. Even Robert paused in his reading, silently praying that Johnny would go under...and stay there. Oliver chuckled, at least until Bree and Johnny got the upper-hand. He felt a twinge of panic as Enrique staggered, noticing that if Amelia fell she would most likely crack her head against the side of the pool.

"Enrique, be careful! Guys, move away from the edge before you - WHOA!"

Oliver went headfirst into the water, not entirely sure what had hit him until he resurfaced, sputtering up water and wiping it from his eyes. It took him all of two seconds to recognize the grinning face.

"Brooklyn...?"

"I missed you!"

"You saw me just yesterday!"

Brooklyn jumped in after the greenette and as he surfaced he slipped his arms around the smaller man's waist. "True, but before that it had been a month. One day isn't enough to satisfy me." He then caught the younger's lips with his own and the two were in their own world until a shriek startled them apart.

Bree and Johnny had reigned victorious, with Enrique holding a glowering Amelia in his arms, both completely drenched from the water. Bree was cheering happily, while Johnny slipped the brunette effortlessly into his muscular arms. He twirled her, both lost in their laughter before coming to a the third time, mint locked onto lavender. Johnny felt his face warm as he stared into her eyes, feeling a strange impulse to lean forward and -

"Um... Johnny... you can put me down now..."

"Oh! Erm...right! Sorry."

Put her down, he did.

He dropped her.

Bree sputtered as she came back up, "A little warning next time would be nice!"

Nevertheless, the brunette's words went unheard, before Johnny had dived and was swimming under water in the direction of the closest way out. Meanwhile, Oliver was being nuzzled and encased in Brooklyn's arms, the orange-haired genius clearly not wanting to release his beloved boyfriend.

"Johnny! Get back here!"

Bree gave chase after the redhead, not realizing he headed off to the deep end of the pool. When she stopped to catch her breath and went to plant her feet on the bottom of the pool, all she felt was water. Panicking, she sunk a little before she began to swim as hard as she could to keep herself above the water and turn herself around.

"BREE!"

Amelia was the one to shout her name, trying to get to her as quickly as she could. It was too late though - the brunette was being pulled under, unable to keep herself above water. She screamed, water filling her mouth and lungs, burning her eyes.

Bree cursed as she went under - she really needed to start building more strength in her arms and legs, dammit! She pushed herself to the bottom before pushing back up and broke the surface once more, some not so very nice Spanish words spilling from her mouth.

She felt a large arm snake around her waist, yanking her forcefully out of the deep end and to her hip hit the side of the pool. The next thing she knew, she was being pulled out by her under-arms, sputtering and trying to get the last of the water out of her lungs. Panting and flushed from her exertion, green eyes turned and locked on Johnny.

"You...okay...?" the redhead panted, looking at her with eyes that reminded her of a frightened child.

"Yeah. Just freaked out a little when I felt nothing solid under my feet." She smiled at the redhead, "Thanks though."

He nodded, rubbing his arm and glowering at the water as if he wanted to set it on fire. "Jus'... glad you're okay."

"I just panicked. I'm fine, I promise." Bree took a deep breath, feeling her heart calming down in her chest. "Hey, guys!" She blinked as she noticed Oliver trying to squirm free from Brooklyn's hold, "Oh! Brooklyn's here!" Said prodigy looked up, "We haven't been properly introduced. My name is Bree."

"Brooklyn Maesfield. It's a pleasure to meet you." He glanced down at his dripping wet outfit, "Though I may need to change."

"There are some extra trunks in the pool house," Enrique said.

Brooklyn grinned, "Thank you," he then placed an affectionate kiss to Oliver's cheek. "I shall return shortly, love."

"Is everyone alright?" Robert asked, sensing the waves of panic from the childhood friends mostly.

Bree nodded, "We're all fine. I want to play Marco Polo now!"

Brooklyn emerged wearing a pair of Enrique's spare trunks, before diving into the pool eagerly upon the girl's declaration. Even Robert decided to play. They played rock, paper, scissors to decide who would be Polo. Robert was up first, quickly snagging Enrique who hadn't entirely grasped the concept of the game.

The Italian wandered about the pool blindly, trying to snag whoever was closest. He lunged as he heard a splash to his left, his fingers enclosing around a string like material.

Suddenly, an ear-splitting shriek occurred, with the blond hastily jerking back and opening his eyes. Horror etched across his face as he held a familiar bikini top in hand. Bree was shrieking like crazy, snatching it back while Amelia tried to swim across the pool to immediately help shield her. Johnny had fallen backwards, blood spurting from his nose, while Robert clamped his hands over his eyes and hastily tried climbing out. Oliver and Brooklyn were awkwardly shifting away in a 'yes, I am most definitely homosexual' way.

Enrique began to moan about his virgin eyes, hunching over at the side of the pool. Never had he encountered a female that the sight of them unclothed made him shudder. Now he definitely understood Johnny's views on Amelia - when one loved someone like a sibling, it honestly felt like they were a sibling and physical attraction was severally limited. Plus, it was _his_ fault for exposing the poor girl in the first place.

"Shhh, Bree! It's alright! I-I almost got it fixed!"

The brunette went to scramble out of the pool, about to take off for the house once she had her feet on the ground, only to have white cloth draped over her shoulders. She blinked, surprised to find Robert's dress shirt around her frame, the German managing to conceal her. She blinked, looking up at him with teary eyes, gratitude across her face.

"Let's get you inside…"

He took her arm and led her back inside the house, trying to console her the best that he could. She thanked him before disappearing into her room, just as the others arrived downstairs. Amelia was smacking the hell out of Johnny's shoulder, with him wiping his bloody nose with a handkerchief of Brooklyn's. Enrique was awkwardly fidgeting, wondering if he was going to get a beating himself. Robert stopped halfway down the staircase, looking at the group who had the utmost concern on their faces - well, save Johnny, who was red-faced and awkwardly covering his front with his towel.

"She's…alright. Embarrassed, mostly. I…I pray that she'll recover."

Amelia went to bolt up the stairs, but the German snagged her arm. She blinked and looked at him, crimson meeting gold in a mutual glare - only his was of warning and hers was of defiance.

"She needs me."

"She _needs_ to be left alone."

Amelia jerked her arm free, going to storm passed him anyway. Robert went to snag her from behind, his fingers enclosing around the back of her bikini, the hook snapping. Considering it was a strapless, which meant that the top came right off.

"PERVERT!"

Amelia whirled, slapping him across the face, snatched her top, and took off for Bree's room just as Johnny hit the floor, screaming about his burning eyes.

"Who wants to go watch another movie in the screening room?" Oliver then announced, hastily taking Brooklyn's hand and scurrying away.

Enrique looked between the German rubbing his face, the Scot screaming in horror, and then hung his head in complete misery.

"They'll hate us for sure,"

He only hoped that there was forgiveness.

-;-

_A/N: XD Had to torture them this chapter. This was a filler chapter for the most part, mainly for humor. Please review!_

_~Mistress of the Arts_

_Next Chapter: Ever Dream_

_Chapter Translations: Abuela - Grandmother (Spanish), Cherie - Dear (French), Sei bellissima - you are beautiful (Italian) Magnifico - gorgeous (Italian), Bella - Beautiful (Italian)_


	5. Chapter 5: Ever Dream

_Disclaimer: Beyblade and characters other than my own belong to Aoki Takao. Characters based off DaQiao17 and me. Contains suggestive themes and mild swearing. Please review._

_~Mistress of the Arts_

_-x-_

_Chapter 5_

_Ever Dream_

The pool incident the day before was quickly forgotten and forgiven by the time Saturday came. Once the girls had calmed, they came to terms with the fact that it had been accidental. Embarrassment and anger drifted away.

It was a warm day, with it being slightly humid. The night before, Enrique and Oliver had taken Bree into the studio and they found her the perfect dress. It needed to be hemmed a bit though.

Brooklyn kept popping up at random intervals. He would wander off to go take care of some things in town, or to go laze about the gardens. Oliver was working on a painting of his lover currently, with Brooklyn lying in the grass, a butterfly perched on his fingers. Oliver had propped himself on one of the stone benches, leg drawn close to his chest as his painted the prodigy.

On the eastern terrace, Robert and Amelia were locked in a chess match, with the two of them proving to both being very good. So far they had one win against another, and were in their third match of the set to determine the winner. Johnny had been watching for awhile, but he soon grew bored with the artistic couple and the chess-players so he wandered off on his own to watch a movie in the screening room.

Meanwhile, Bree was currently in the kitchens with Enrique, who was watching as she prepared the food for the picnic they were discreetly trying to plan for. The blond hadn't exactly asked Amelia on the date yet - he wanted to surprise her, especially since he knew her thoughts on dating in general. Bree had a little plan she was working on to ensure that their hard work wouldn't go to waste.

Though she didn't want to use the bestie card, she would if she had to.

For Enrique's sake.

Enrique was talking about Julian as he sat on the island of the kitchen, watching as Bree cut up fruit and made a fruit salad, placing it in some tupperware. She was telling him stories about her nephew Grayson, answering any questions the blond had when it came to his son. From the sound of things, Julian was a well-behaved boy who had a fascination with the sea, love of music, and enjoyed being dressed up by his fashion-designer grandmother.

Stirring the angel hair pasta currently boiling on the stove top, Bree then turned to finish sautéing the shrimp. A nice creamy sauce was warming up on the back burner. She had already prepared a nice garden salad and it too was in tupperware. Enrique had taste-tested the sauce, finding it as superb as Oliver's cooking. He thanked Bree's _Abuela_ repeatedly in his head for teaching her how to cook.

Cerulean orbs never left the brunette, Enrique trying to memorize the recipe. Oliver had been trying to teach him how to cook, but it was hard considering most of the time they had a hired staff to do so.

He thought back to watch Amelia had said about them back after the championships - that they needed to learn both worlds.

To better understand the world beyond aristocracy.

"There, nothing to it."

Bree had just drained the pasta and shrimp, adding the latter to the sauce and stirring it in before adding oregano and other spices. Once it topped the pasta in another, larger tupperware bowl, she snapped the lid into place and placed it into the picnic basket that had the salads, some garlic bread, and a bottle of sparkling cider (Amelia only drank socially and it was always a small amount of white wine - nothing else). Bree closed the basket and turned to hand it to the blond, a smile in place.

"_Grazie_~" Enrique leaned in and gave her a kiss on the top of her head, one that caused the brunette to flush a bit. "You are a great friend, Bree. Honestly, I've never felt this kind of connection to a girl like I have you - I feel as if you're the little sister I never had…"

She giggled at that, "Enrique, I'm older than you by seven months."

He sweatdropped, "Right. You were born in February and I was born in August."

"By the way, what are the others birthdays?"

"Oliver's is February 26th, Robert's is December 13th, Johnny was born I believe April the…4th! Yes, and Julian's birthday is August 9th and mine is August 17th," Enrique paused, "I know your birthday is in February, but I can't remember the date and I'm unaware of Amelia's birthday."

"I was born on Valentine's Day, silly." Bree pulled out her phone and sent a text to Amelia, "She says her birthday is November 27th,"

"Splendid! Then we shall definitely be doing something for your birthday came February!"

Smiling a bit, the brunette then stole a glance at the time. "Well, I need to go get my dress hemmed. What time did you say you wanted to take Amelia out?"

"Around six,"

"Alright, that'll give me enough time to steal her and help me, along with Oliver. Do me a favor and keep Brooklyn busy? I really need Oliver focused and not abducted."

"Of course, dear sister!"

Enrique seemed very excited about his newfound relationship with the American. He gave her another hug of gratitude before taking off, with Bree putting the basket in the fridge so not to spoil, before she turned to leave the kitchens herself. As she walked, she found herself a little lost in thought, filing away the birthday information.

She didn't want this summer to be the last.

She wanted the Majestics and Amelia to always be in her life. It had only been a week, but she had grown attached to them in ways she had never found herself attached to anyone before in her life. Sure, she had friends such as Simon, Lani, Christina and Terrance, but she hadn't ever felt as close to them as she did. She always had felt a little different - she never felt so at ease and like she could tell them anything like she did with the Majestics and the heiress.

For the first time in her life, Bree felt as if she finally found where she belonged.

She only hoped they realized just how much they had come to mean to her.

-;-

Amelia found herself in a great mood today.

She always liked playing chess - it was one of the few activities that she had bonded with her introverted cousin over the years. Wyvie had trouble opening up on a lot of levels, but it was unspoken that Amelia was the one person he had attached himself to. She had wanted him to come with her to Spain, but he had decided to remain back home to look after Cynthia while the rest of the Ross family went on vacation.

Amelia's parents, Wesley and Isabel, were both very successful. It was through her Italian mother that she had roots in Venice. She got her hair color from her father, but her mother's eyes. Cynthia had the dark hair and their father's brown eyes.

Right now, she was excited about Robert taking Bree to the _Teatro dell'Opera di Roma _that evening. After checking on Johnny in the library - he had borrowed her laptop for some reason - Amelia started to head down the hall toward Bree's room. For reasons unknown, Oliver had stopped her that morning and picked out her outfit. She didn't mind too much - she actually liked Oliver's fashion sense.

Her hair was left down today, something she seldom did, and she wore it tucked behind her left ear. She had put in a nice pair of cross earrings, with a matching white choker necklace with a topaz set in the middle of the cross. She had put on her ample amount of make-up, a soft white eye-shadow and mascara for her eye make-up, and a soft peach lipstick.

Oliver had picked out a soft yellow button down sleeveless blouse, which she wore with the top buttons undone over a white camisole, with a pair of white denim shorts and a silver chain belt that had faux topaz stones set into it and smaller amber ones. Her white heeled strappy sandals clad her feet and she had painted her nails neon yellow.

Raising her hand, she rapped her knuckles on Bree's door, hearing the soft Southern accented voice telling her to come inside. She turned the handle and stepped in, immediately grinning as she noticed the brunette wearing the beautiful dress that the two aristocrats had found the previous night. She was standing on top of the plush crème vanity chair, biting her lip nervously and afraid of falling as she watched Oliver hemming the dress properly.

It really was one of Felicia Tornatore's lovelier creations - a lavender ball gown with a cinched waist and flowing short sleeves with a slit up the front of the skirt to her knees showing the white under layer beneath. It suited Bree just fine, giving her the classic Renaissance look to her that was hard to capture.

What had taken Amelia several years to learn, Bree naturally could do.

It was hard not be a little bit envious of her.

"How's it coming?" Amelia asked, approaching the two.

"Here," Oliver briskly pushed the pin cushion wristband into her hand. "Put that on and hold this section for me."

Giggling, the bronze-haired female did as he instructed, giving playful little sounds of pain as the Frenchman occasionally pricked her with a pin, clearly distracted. Bree kept shifting, almost afraid of being pricked herself and nearly falling.

"There!" Oliver scrambled to his knees so fast, his leg hit the chair.

Bree gave a small scream as she and the chair was sent forward, losing her balance. Amelia managed to grab the girl's flailing arm in a desperate attempt to catch her, only for the two of them to end up crashing to the floor in a heap. Oliver whirled and began to apologize frantically in French, pulling the brunette off the dazed heiress, who gave a groan of pain.

"Are you two alright?" Oliver finally managed to spit out in English.

"J-Just a bit startled. Everything alright there, Oliver?"

"_Oui, oui…_ just… distracted is all."

Bree blinked and noticed Amelia was still on the floor, "Mia, are you alright?"

Hearing the nickname being used caused the heiress to spring up, whining. "Don't call me that, please! I hate that nickname!" She looked up at them with pleading eyes.

"Why do you hate it so much? I personally find it to be a cute nickname.""Because that's the only name Johnny could pronounce when we were children! He couldn't say 'Amelia', so whenever I hear it I think back to when he used to say my name just to annoy me! He even came up with a stupid little song and everything! It drives me absolutely crazy!"

"Alright, alright, we get it." Oliver laughed, petting her on the head. "Now calm down. You wouldn't want to smear your make-up."

Bree laughed herself, pushing the table back to the vanity table. Now that her dress was hemmed (with her wearing the kitten heels that Amelia had given her), she had to fix her hair. Amelia got to her feet and picked up the brush, running it through the russet strands, before picking up the curling iron. She did the shoulder-length strands in ringlets, before adding a lilac hair-band to complete the look. She had a pair of black dangling amethyst earrings that Amelia had lent her, with a matching pendant. Her nails were painted lavender and had been manicured a few days prior during their shopping spree.

"You look absolutely glamorous, dear." Amelia said, gripping the brunette's shoulders as they glanced at her reflection. "You're going to blend in perfectly tonight."

Bree smiled, "You really think so?"

The heiress gave a nod, "Alright, so let's head on downstairs."

Glancing at the time, the brunette gave an eager nod. Amelia hesitated, before the two left. Oliver and Brooklyn had scurried off to who-knows-where. Not really too concerned, Bree simply kept her arm linked with the soccer player, as if expecting the girl to flee.

Amelia didn't pay any mind to it - she liked the affection the brunette had been displaying toward them in the time she had been staying with them. It was watching a butterfly flutter out of its comfort of its cocoon and began its metamorphosis.

They reached the grand staircase, with Amelia raising a brow. Robert was adjusting his tie in his reflection of the mirror on the right side of the entrance, wearing a navy blazer with matching trousers, expensive black leather shoes, and a lavender dress shirt with a black tie. He looked very formal and much older than twenty-five, and yet looked - strangely enough - handsome.

Most men looked classy in a suit and tie.

Enrique was lingering a little to the side, with oddly enough a picnic basket sitting on the umbrella stand. He himself was dressed much more casually, wearing an orange trimmed white short-sleeved blazer over a red t-shirt, a pair of pale blue jeans, and a pair of white DC sneakers with red and orange trim. He had his platinum Rolex on his right wrist, family ring and silver hoop in place. He broke out into an excited grin as they made their descent.

"Absolutely gorgeous, ladies. Breana that dress just… looks _magnifico_ on you! I am so glad that Oli chose that one in particular. Doesn't she, Robert?" the blond turned to his captain, who had stopped fiddling with his tie long enough to turn to his fellow scholar. "Rob?"

Robert was speechless, by the look of things. His pale cheeks flooded pink as he managed a nod, politely bowing before reaching out to take the brunette's hand. Bree gave a small giggle as he twirled her, the dress flowing around her frame and making her feel like a noblewoman or a princess. Once she came to a stop, Robert surprised them all by bringing her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to them.

"_Bezaubernd_," he complimented in German.

Bree felt her heart skip a beat, taken aback by how alluring the German language was. She was pretty sure what he said had been a compliment, glancing at Amelia just to make sure. The heiress was gifted with the knowledge of many languages.

Amelia giggled, "He said you look enchanting,"

"T-Thank you," Bree stammered.

Amelia glanced toward Enrique, "You look cute, Enri~ what's the occasion? Going on a date?"

There was an awkward silence that filled the room, with Amelia suddenly having eyes of blue, red, and green all locked on her. Her own yellow-like irises blinked a few times, looking around and feeling as she was missing something. Robert simply rubbed the bridge of his nose, giving a little snort while Bree giggled again. Enrique simply looked as if he was about to whack his head against the door.

Bree sighed, exasperation clear for the blond, "Here." She grabbed the Italian's hand and the heiress'. She cleared her throat before in an obviously false deep voice said, "Amelia, would you go on a picnic with me?" She then raised her voice to a soprano, batting her eyelashes for effect, "Why, yes Enrique, I would be delighted to!" She then placed the two young adults hands in each other's and proceeded to drag them to the door, once again speaking in a deep voice, "I have a carriage ride prepared just for us so that we may enjoy the clear night sky!" Bree opened the door and shoved the two out it, grabbed the discarded basket and shoved it into the Italian's arms. She gave the two a 'get before I get you' look before closing the door in their faces.

"What…just happened…?"

Amelia was the first to speak, clearly shocked by what had just occurred. Enrique blinked, suddenly quite fearful for the day that he would ever want to propose to anyone and Bree would be involved, before turning to glance at the girl beside him.

"Not…sure… but look's like we're on a date."

Amelia felt her cheeks warm, glancing down at where he was still holding her hand. Usually, just the thought of going on anything remotely close to a date sent her hightailing it out of there. However, looking up into those blue eyes that reminded her of the sea and sky caused her to hesitate and push those fears back from her mind.

_It wouldn't hurt just to go out on one little date with him. It's not like he's going to propose to me. Hah, as if I'd even give anyone the chance to propose to me on the first date again! Besides… it's obvious Enrique went through a lot just to put all this together… and if Bree was involved, then it's a safe bet that she thinks it's a good idea. I trust Bree's judgment a lot faster than I would Johnny's. _

"Yeah," she gave him that pretty smile. "Seems we are. So where are we going to enjoy this yummy picnic?"

Enrique grinned, happy she hadn't rejected him. They began to walk down the long drive, to where he had parked a chrome red Vespa scooter. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing her grinning at it. He wanted to release a small breath of relief - most girls crinkled their noses at it and demanded they take out one of the flashy sports' cars.

That's what he liked about Amelia Ross - she liked things simple. She was technically aristocracy herself, but she liked to live her life in a down-to-earth manner. She didn't judge and tried to find the fun in everything. She was beautiful, smart, playful, friendly, and made friends easily. Her faults were her emotional barriers, keeping everyone at a distance. She trusted to a degree, but it was known as clear as day that her trust was earned. There were only two people in the world she trusted completely.

The first person was her cousin, Wyvie.

The second - for some ungodly reason - was Johnny.

He knew that out of the order of the others, he was ranked second after Bree. Then it was Oliver and Robert - whom she didn't know quite well and after the swimsuit incident, the German was lucky she was even breathing two words to him.

"So shall we go?"

"Yeah! I've always wanted to ride one of these things~" Amelia stated, a sincere smile in place. "I like the red, but I think blue suits you better."

"Oh, this one belongs to Johnny. He just doesn't like to claim it around the ladies." Enrique grinned, "Mine's in the shop. Johnny thought it would be fun to tinker around with it as a practical joke. I ended up getting a busted lip and giving an ass kicking."

Amelia laughed at that as she took the helmet he handed her, helping her put it on her head before he put his own on. He climbed on after securing the picnic basket in the compartment on the back, patting the seat behind him. Amelia swung her leg over, immediately wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her cheek against his shoulder-blade as he started it. The scooter roared to life before Enrique took off, with the bronze-haired girl giving a small squeal of delight.

Soon, they had Rome flying by them. Enrique was careful not to go too fast, making it easy to weave throughout traffic and down little alleyways. He had the perfect little park in mind - it wasn't nearly as crowded with tourists as the others. Every so often, he would glance over his shoulder, especially whenever he felt her hug him even tighter around sharp turns. He didn't see any fear on her pretty features, though, which relieved him. She simply looked as if she was having the time of her life.

He felt happy, seeing her smile.

He felt happy every time she was near.

Honestly, he couldn't explain it. He hadn't ever really felt this way before with anyone else. Only Oliver's presence had ever made him remotely happy - but not like this. It was much different.

Enrique found a spot to park the Vespa in, shutting off the engine and then feeling Amelia pull away. He was startled by the sense of loss he felt, but he didn't allow it to show as he pulled off his helmet. She had done the same just as the blond turned to look at her.

"Whoops, got a little bit of helmet hair goin' on there." Enrique reached out, smoothing down the messy tresses. Amelia gave a small sound of surprise, looking up at him from under her bangs as he did so. "There you go~ as pretty as a rose."

The faintest of pink tinged her apricot cheeks, before she quickly ducked her head down as she climbed off the Vespa. Enrique placed their helmets back into their compartments underneath the seat, before removing the straps on the picnic basket. He held out his free hand a second later.

"Shall we?"

Amelia blinked and then took it, "Alright."

They walked across the grass, the sky beginning to fade as the sunset drew near. The Italian was happy with the time of day that he had chosen. They found a nice spot underneath some pine trees. Enrique opened the basket after setting it on a large rock, withdrawing a blue and white checkered blanket. Amelia smiled as he placed it on the grass, before he placed the basket and sat down. She followed suit and glanced up at the sky, surprised to find the strange and yet still familiar butterflies in her stomach.

"Oh wow! This looks really good!" Amelia watched as Enrique pulled out two fine plates and began to serve up the shrimp pasta and the garden salad, handing her a good portion. "Did you make this?"

The blond hesitated, before shaking his head. "No. It was Bree. She helped me."

"That was sweet of her," She took her fork and twirled some pasta around it, stabbing a shrimp before placing it in her mouth and tasting it. The sauce was delicious, especially combined with the shrimp. "Mmm, this is so yummy! I'm definitely going to have to take cooking lessons from her, especially whenever I want to be a mother."

Enrique glanced at her, taking a bite out of his own pasta. He chewed and swallowed before speaking, "So you do want to get married one day and have a family of your own?"

"Of course I do. I can't let the Ross line die off."

"But don't you have a younger sister?"

"Ah, you don't know."

"Know what?"

"Cyn… is sterile. She's unable to have children. My mother was lucky to have Cyn and me as well." Amelia gave a sad smile, "I've offered to be a surrogate mother when and if the time comes where Cynthia and her future spouse would like to have children. She told me for now that she's content with not having any - she'll just look forward to the day that she gets to meet her future nieces or nephews."

"I imagine you have many suitors back home."

"I do but I've expressed severe disinterest. Because of it being the 21st century, my parents don't believe in arranged marriages and let me have my own choices. Sadly, those choices have caused me to have a very… negative view on romantic relationships. I've kept myself out of the dating world for two years now, ever since I was twenty. My parents are getting a little anxious, though."

"My mother is the opposite. After the incident with Julian's birth mother, my mother has been…very opposing to my seeing anyone. She wants to ensure that if I do find myself a young woman, then it has to be someone that she approves of, one that she can tell will not be trying to use me, and one that will be a good mother figure for Julian. I agree with her wholeheartedly, but the last attempt at a relationship I tried to have after Anastasia… did not go well at all. My mother just…flipped out on the poor girl. She broke up with me hours later, telling me that it was my own fault for having a bastard son…"

Amelia lowered her gaze, "I don't see Julian as that. From what you've told me, Julian is a very wonderful child. Sometimes, the parents who create that child don't always have to stay together." She bit her lower lip, hugging herself. "For example… in Wyvie's case…"

"Did his parents not stay together?"

"No. Because he was the lovechild between my own father and my aunt."

Enrique was quiet, "But… I thought his father was from Norway… or something…"

"That's the story we've told everyone. My mother had an older sister - from her father's first marriage - and she knew my father first. Wyvie was the outcome and then shortly after Wyvie was born, my father was engaged to be married to my mother. My aunt wasn't heartbroken, but she chose to keep the fact that Wyvie and I shared the same father a secret until she passed away. So now, we play the role of cousins. We are, in a sense, but we are also half-siblings." Amelia sighed heavily, "It's a complicated situation in which… Wyvie resents my father. He simply stays with us because he doesn't have anyone or anywhere else to go."

"I was born out of wedlock too. My father took advantage of my mother's feelings when they were young. She had admired and loved him all throughout school. He was actually in love with Olette - Mama's best friend. She had rejected him for Oliver's father… and he used my mother. I was the outcome. He was around during the pregnancy, but it was really only because he was afraid of being cut off financially and losing his status. I was two when he finally said enough was enough. He didn't even marry my mother. Now he's one of Europe's finest bachelors and has never been tied down. He also ensured that he would never be having any other children." Enrique gave a weak smile, "I used to watch my mother when I was younger, and looking out into the distance, as if lost in her memories. She then would turn to me, kiss me and tell me that I was the only man she needed in her life. Her love was for me and me alone."

"Your mother was strong. She went through a lot… being disowned for deciding to keep her baby. I'm glad that your grandparents took her in until her own parents decided to step in themselves. They were right to make the decisions they did. You turned out just fine - in fact, better than fine. You were raised to be chivalrous and to treat women with utmost kindness. Unfortunately, those women who had been scorned and had nothing left saw it as a weakness to use you."

"I've… never seen it that way before. I figured I was just an idiot."

Amelia shook her head, "No. Those women were, because they couldn't see just how amazing and wonderful a man you really are, Enrique. Yet I do. I see you as the kind of man to make a wonderful husband one day. You're already a great father. I hope to meet Julian soon as well, and your mother." She bit her lip again, blushing faintly as she looked toward the sky. "Is it strange that I want to thank Felicia…?"

"Thank Mama? For what?"

"For bringing you into this world."

Taken aback from those words, Enrique could only stare at the heiress as the wind whipped in, suddenly teasing their locks. Those golden irises locked on him, looking at him in ways he had never seen any woman look at him before. Suddenly, all he could think of was how unfair it was that she had been hurt to the point she didn't want to try and find love herself. How it had hurt her so much that she couldn't see that she was desirable in more ways than sexually.

She was the kind of woman that one married and held onto until death.

"Amelia… what if… you met someone who wouldn't be like all those men that hurt you? Someone who would want to be with you - not because you're a Ross, not because you're beautiful, but because of your heart? If you never… put yourself out there, how would you know that the love of your life isn't standing right in front of you?"

She hesitated, "To be honest, I've been thinking about that more and more lately. I'm just frightened, I guess. I honestly don't want to end up getting hurt again… but that's how we learn."

"Well… you're on a date with me, aren't you…? Does that upset you…?"

Amelia blinked, "No. Because I know you - not as well as I'd like to, but I can tell you're… not like everyone else. Johnny was right about my taste in men, but I'm wiser. Hopefully I won't make the same mistakes again. I can't… keep waiting around like this."

"Waiting around?"

"As I said before, my parents are becoming anxious. By now I should've found a suitor that's at least struck my interest so that I can be married and soon have an heir. It's just how things are."

"So… what do they want you to do?"

"They want me to be married or engaged to be married by my 24th birthday."

Enrique fidgeted, "And… what if you aren't?"

"Then unfortunately I won't be able to keep my status. As much as I don't like relying on it, in the world of the blue-bloods, you need it to survive. So…I guess I'm going to have to hope that I find someone before my parents find someone for me. I…would absolutely hate to disappoint them."

"I'm sure…you'll find someone." Enrique stated slowly.

Amelia smiled as she looked at the sunset, afraid to admit that the someone she would hope to find had already been found.

-;-

Johnny had spent a majority of the day watching _300_; playing an online RPG that Bree had shown him on Amelia's laptop, and then posting random things on Robert's wall on his Facebook merely out of boredom. He had logged into his own account on a separate browser, and curiously had opened the other which had Amelia already logged in. He snickered evilly, knowing that she should've been more careful than to leave herself logged in, before he decided to try and figure out what kind of torment to give his other best friend.

He sat in the darkness of the library, having developed an irritating headache that no amount of pain reliever or napping seemed to get rid of. He also felt oddly chilled, despite the warm summer weather. He assumed he had caught a cold of some sort and was dealing with it the best he could - keeping himself isolated in the one place that was seldom used.

Johnny had clad himself in an old faded red hoodie, a pair of tattered khaki pants, and was shoeless. He had actually removed his headband for the day, since he figured no one would see him. He sat curled up in one of the many leather reading chairs, legs hanging over the arm while he idly read over some of Amelia's conversations, finding them boring. The only remotely interesting one had been between her and one Wyvie Ross - he recalled meeting the boy once when they were younger. He hadn't changed much.

Bronze hair, unkempt and falling to his ears in uneven spikes, some falling slightly into gold eyes. In Johnny's opinion, Amelia and Wyvie looked more like siblings than Amelia and Cynthia did. He shrugged it off though, before going back to the home page. Most of the news feed consisted of family posts - he recognized some of Amelia's cousins - Christina and Terrance in Texas, Antonio in New York, and her grandmother Abriella in Venice. He saw that Isabel had posted a few vacation photos of her and Wesley.

He scrolled down, wondering if the woman had any other friends. He noticed some stupid frivolous girls' statuses about love drama, shopping trips, and a couple of them talking about epic parties that they were going to attend during the weekend. He was growing bored again.

Then, something caught his attention.

The name Bree Summers.

He immediately clicked the link. He had been under the impression she didn't have a Facebook, for he had done a search for her on his own account. Seems she had set her settings so that only friends could search her. He immediately began to browse (oh, who was he kidding? He's creeping!) her profile.

She had been posting statuses about her current adventures in Italy - the last one saying how excited she was about going to see an opera and she had Robert tagged. He made a face, wondering why he couldn't see her posts. He guessed Robert had altered his settings as well.

Johnny had found her photo albums and was going through them now. He was surprised to find how adorable Bree had been when she was younger, tagged by various relatives. He saw a family picture. The man tagged as Marshall Summers was an auburn haired man with stubble on his cheek, which was very broad shouldered, tall, and had the same mint green eyes as his daughter. Standing beside him was a woman of Amelia's height, having dark brown hair, auburn eyes, tan skin, and a beauty mark on the corner of her mouth. There was a woman who looked to be in her early sixties, tagged as Concepcion Zavala. She had braided lavender hair in a bun with auburn eyes and tan skin, around Bree's height.

With them stood their three children. The only male and oldest was Saxton, who had his father's auburn hair in boyish curls and forest green eyes, his skin actually fair in comparison to the rest of the family. He was only a couple of inches shorter than his father. In his arms was a two-year-old boy - Grayson - who clearly took after his mother. His hair was a silver-blond shade, his eyes the same mint shade as his grandfather and aunt's, and he had chubby cheeks and was wearing a little Stetson. Leaning against her brother was the middle child, Lucetta.

Lucetta was gorgeous, with model-like features. Her long, silky hair was lavender like her grandmother's and her eyes were a sharp orange. Her complexion was more tan, obviously taking more after her Spanish heritage. She was tall for a woman, taller than her grandmother, sister, and mother. Bree was on the other side of Saxton, smiling.

She was the only one in the family to have freckles.

It was rather cute.

Johnny blinked, stunned by that realization. He hadn't realized how much he had actually been fixated on Bree until that moment. He was creeping on her bloody Facebook page for cryin' out loud!

"I can't believe it!" Johnny muttered, about to close the laptop in shock. "I…I like Bree!"

The door opened just then, with the redhead jolting. He hastily shut the laptop and watched, eyes wide in horror as if it was the girl in question that had arrived. One glance at the clock and he realized, momentarily, as he recalled that she was at the opera with Robert. He knew that Amelia was out too, same with Enrique.

That could only mean…

Yup.

It was the Frenchie and McCreepy.

And they were sucking face. Intensely. Right there in the doorway, arms entwined one another and it was obvious they were French kissing.

Johnny didn't care that Oliver was gay - in his opinion, homosexuality was as normal as heterosexuality. He himself liked women.

It was just another thing seeing the two of them about to get down and dirty with him sitting _right there_.

"BLOODY FREAKIN' CHRIST, I AM RIGHT HERE, GODDAMMIT!"

That outburst sent the two breaking apart, with Oliver immediately turning as red as Johnny's hair while Brooklyn simply closed his eyes and gave that creepy smile of his, simply drawing the greenette closer.

"So sorry to intrude, Johnny~"

Johnny glowered at the creepy bastard, "Jus' take your asses down to Oliver's room if you're gonna mate like bunnies. I don't wanna see it or hear it - and I definitely don't want Enrique gettin' bitched out by the maids for having to clean up after you two in rooms other than Oliver's. So get before I toss ya both in there and lock the door!"

Brooklyn chuckled as Oliver quickly grabbed his lover's hand, dragging him out of the library, clearly embarrassed. Johnny rolled his eyes and then glanced down at the laptop, trying to think back on the revelation he just had moments before he nearly went blind.

He grabbed his cell phone, which was on silent and abandoned on the table, before going through his contacts. He didn't do this often, but he never really…felt like this before.

"Mum!" he exclaimed the moment the phone was answered. "I need to talk to you!"

"Oooh, sounds like Johnny's got lassie troubles~" snickered one voice.

One that mirrored the voice, only a little softer in tone, replied. "Should we give the phone to Mummy or try and help big brother out?"

"GIVE THE PHONE TO MUM NOW, YA LITTLE BRATS!"

Johnny wanted to smack his head into the desk as he heard the voices of his twin brothers, giggling evilly. Caleb was the louder, devious one out of the two, but whenever Caël caved and went along with his twin's ideas, they were both devious and dastardly.

They nearly dethroned the King of Sarcasm many a-time in the years they had been in existence.

There were times Johnny nearly walked in on his parents having relations simply to throw a box of condoms at them and tell them to stop mating like rabbits - they had enough in the McGregor clan with him. But _no_, they just simply had to go and have twins when he was fourteen and then go and have a little girl on top of that.

Not that he didn't dislike Rosary. He loved his baby sister more than anything in the entire world. It was just…weird dealing with a female. It was even worse when they introduced Rose to the twins. Caël had been the one to shyly tickle her tummy and coo at her while Caleb, being the loudmouth and obnoxious brat that he was, simply looked at their parents and asked 'where's the penis'?He got a week's grounding for that from their hormonal and crazy mother, Moira. Their father, James, had been the one to simply explain that they had a baby sister instead of a brother as anticipated.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, with Caël chatting up their big brother as if they were having a business conversation - Caleb was loudly kicking open the many doors of the McGregor family castle in search of the woman who birthed them - he heard his mother's voice in the background.

"Johnny? Caël said you needed to talk to me?"

"Away the from the lads, will ya?"

"Boys, play with Rosary for Mummy."

"Yes, Mum~"

How they managed to pull off those sweet tones was still a mystery to Johnny.

He heard the door shut behind her, before sweet silence reached his ears. Moira spoke a few moments later.

"Alright, Johnny, what do you need to talk 'bout?"He gave a relaxed sigh, "It's great to talk to you, Mum. I missed you."

"I miss you too. Is somethin' the matter though? Are you enjoyin' yourself at Enrique's?"

"Yeah, I am. That's… part of why I called. See, Mia brought a friend with her to stay with us. Her name is Bree and she -"

"Say no more, Johnny."

"Eh?"

"Seems to me the love bug has finally caught ya. What's she like?"

He felt his face flame as he thought about the brunette, "She's… charmin'. Definitely a bonnie lass. She's also real smart - like Rob, but not a pompous windbag about it - and she's a great cook! She's also real funny and cute. I…I'm a little startled 'cause I haven't really…felt like this 'bout anyone before. What do I do?"

Moira gave a soft chuckle, "Johnny, if you like this girl, you should tell her before the summer slips away."

"I…I dunno how to do that, Mum."

"Just follow your heart, baby."

"Thanks… I feel better. I'll try that."

"Now when do I get to drop the kids off to you?"

"Uhhh gotta go! Bye, Mum! Love ya!"

He hastily hung up, before he opened the laptop and went back to Facebook.

-;-

By intermission, Bree was completely moved. No opera she had heard over the radio or on television could compare to a live performance. It had even moved her to tears in was so beautiful.

Intermission was to last about a half-an-hour, so the performers could take a rest while they changed the set and the audience could stretch their legs. Finding herself a bit thirsty, the brunette had asked Robert to show her the concession stand so she could get herself something to drink.

They had entered a conversation about the opera and their favorite scenes. Bree was leaning against the wall, trying to hide the fact that she wasn't accustomed to heels or the aching of her feet, while she sipped her spring water. Robert went to say something when suddenly he stopped.

The air around him changed drastically - the whisper of a smile on his lips and the light in his eyes fading at once, as if a candle had been extinguished. His stature, one that had been relaxed, was now very rigid. It was as if the side he had rarely shown was once again smothered by a proper, stuffy old man that dwelled within the adolescent body.

Her eyes followed his crimson gaze; her voice dying off as well as she noticed that his eyes were fixated on a man approaching. He was a mirror image of Robert, only twenty years his senior and his hair was a rich dark brown. Beside him was a woman with black hair, worn in a tight bun on top of her head, her brown eyes rimmed darkly. She looked to be Germanic or Austrian.

"…_Vater_…"

"Robert. I didn't expect to see you here."

Ulrich Jurgen stood before them - of course Bree knew who this was. He was as famous as his son - but more in the world of business. He was one of the few people who funded the BBA, but only in order to build the stadiums around the world. The Jurgen family had also rich history, dating back many centuries as knights.

Ulrich's sharp eyes immediately pinned on the American beside his son, narrowing in a way that sent her shivering and wanting to crawl underneath a rock. His eyes said everything - she was a plebian, a commoner, and obviously filth in his eyes.

"Who are you and what are you doing here with my son?"

"Father, she is merely a friend."

"Indeed. Well, Robert is in no need of... _friends_," Ulrich said, distaste evident in his voice and etched on his harsh feature, "such as yourself. He is engaged to be married and I will not stand to see it be ruined by some little tramp defiling my son. Allowing the words to sink in, he turned to leave, but stopped and turned his face to them, "I won't tell your fiancée about your... _dealings. _Just make sure it's the last time."

The woman beside him sent a glare of her own, "My daughter is lucky I am a kind mother and refuse to show her the true nature of men such as yourself, Robert. I am _highly_ disappointed in you."

Robert lowered his eyes, fists clenched behind his back as he bowed. Bree was looking down in shame as well, hands clutching at the front of her dress and fighting the tears prickling her eyes, her vision blurring as she bit down of her quivering lip. Once Ulrich and Eliade's mother had vanished from sight, Robert turned to apologize, but he sadly wasn't able to say the words.

"Can… we…go back please… to…to Enrique's…?"

"Of course…"

Robert went to touch her, but lowered his arm and simply grabbed hers instead, quickly leading them away from the opera house and outside. He called Augustus to swing around and quickly pick them up, knowing full well that he would be getting an earful later. Ulrich's words had been tame to the lecture he would give behind closed doors. Once they were on their way back to the house, Bree hid her face in her hands and allowed herself to cry, forgetting about pride and trying to be strong. It had hurt, far worse than she ever imagined.

Robert didn't move to comfort her - he was still in a state of shock and mild agitation. He dreaded the moment he would have to speak to his mother, trying to think of ways to apologize to his bride-to-be. He wasn't romantically attached to Eliade, but he did find her suitable as his future wife and he had hoped to one day grow to love her, as his mother Marta had his father before.

Eliade's mother, Vanessa, was another story. She had raised the girl alone since her father had passed away when she was a child. Eliade was a nice enough young woman, very smart but plain in appearance with dark rimmed brown eyes and dull brown hair so wore in a bun much like her mother.

He simply wanted what would be best for his family and future.

He never wanted to let anyone be hurt because of his mistakes.

"_Es tut mir leid, _Breana."

No translation was needed.

-;-

The night sky was clear, stars shining down brightly as the hooves clicked against the stone. The picnic had gone well, and the carriage was taking them back to the house. Brooklyn and Oliver had come to retrieve the Vespa so it wasn't stolen. They had stopped and gotten a bowl of gelato to share, feeding one another. The mood was romantic, playful and cheery.

Now the heiress was surprisingly relaxed, leaning against him as they looked at the constellations. He loved listening to her honey-toned voice as she told him the Roman stories behind the constellations. His eyes would travel from the stars, to her full lips, tempted to claim them with his own.

"Amelia…?"

She turned to look at him, eyes bright and dancing, the same shade as the full harvest moon in the dark sky. She tipped her head to the side, her bangs falling into her eyes before he reached his hand out, warm fingertips brushing her apricot cheek as they tucked them behind her ear. Then, out of nowhere, he produced a rare blue rose, smiling as he tucked it behind her ear.

She blushed, glancing up into his own blue eyes that matched the petals, the look sending a violent thumping of his heart and nerves to twist his stomach. He had never felt this nervous before.

He had kissed a thousand girls.

Never had he felt the sensations he was now, just at the thought of kissing one.

_Can this be… love?_

He dared not think that.

He didn't want to end up used and broken again.

He had to think of his mother and his son.

Yet with all those thoughts plaguing him, the Italian couldn't deny the connection he felt with Amelia Ross. She was everything and more. Enrique really didn't want to get his hopes up for them to crash and burn, but he still wanted to take the chance.

_Play with fire and be burned._

He threw away logic and worries - taking a chance was what living was all about. With his hand on her cheek, he then gently tilted her face. She blinked, a little confused as to what he was doing, before Enrique closed the distance.

His lips brushed hers, soft and chaste, for a total of ten seconds before he withdrew. Amelia's face was pink, but she didn't look angry. Simply surprised.

She went to speak, but the carriage coming to a halt caught their attention. They turned just as they saw the car pulling to a stop at the front steps. A figure darted from the car, looking as if they were crying, and into the house. Another slowly walked up the stairs, looking defeated.

Amelia moved immediately, leaping from the carriage and taking off up the drive. Enrique managed to pay the carriage driver and then took off after her, the two of them arriving at the doors a little out of breath just as Robert turned. His face as solemn and his eyes sad.

"What happened?" Amelia demanded, her tone surprisingly sharp.

Robert did not reply, which only angered the girl more. She wrenched open the doors, shouting out the Spanish-bred girl's name, only to come to a stop. The other two stepped inside the foyer, seeing that Bree was at the top of the stairs, her face buried into the chest of one King of Sarcasm, with him doing his best to comfort her.

The look on his face was twisted, grotesque with rage and bloodlust flickered in his lavender eyes.

Silently, an oath was given that day.

Johnny McGregor would find the one who dared make Bree Summers cry and make their life a living hell.

-;-

_A/N: Oh my gosh, I am sooo sorry for taking so long with this chapter! I kept getting and losing inspiration, plus I had to move so that was a hassle and time-consuming. There was also a lot of character development and family involvement to include (which explains where Robert learned how to be an ass -w-'). Hopefully there will be more cameos of the Majestics' parents in future chapters! Reviews would be appreciated~_

_Next Chapter: Wrapped in Darkness_

_Chapter Translations: Abuela - Grandmother (Spanish), Grazie - thank you (Italian), Oui - yes (French), Magnifico - gorgeous (Italian), Bezaubernd - enchanting (German), Vater - Father (German), Es tut mir leid - I am sorry (German)_


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